Well, Reddybear is awfully happy for recently having his face pounded in.

I was wondering where ve was.

Snubbull: You know what? The jobs on the Bulletin Board…

A bit late for that tutorial.

Snubbull: Oh, you already knew? That’s OK, then.

“Take me! In your arms!”

That said, not sure how smart it is to grind there , but…

Interesting. Getting a lot of TMs, lately.

As I thought, nobody in the group can even use this one.

It is nice to actually be a strong member of the team, really. Even if it does give me less to snark about.

…And then I made a mistake.

During this run, I got knocked out and, rather than just let it play out as normal, I decided to go ahead and reload from the last time it asked me whether I wished to save (since, were I playing the cartridge and that happened, I would likely have reset the game and started from my last save). Problem is, the last time I ACTUALLY saved was right after doing all the dojo stuff. I did not save at the end of that day. And there is no “undo” function when it comes to loading a save state. So… yeah. Welcome back to day 12!

Alright! A new beginning! Pokémon Mystery Delivery Service, go!

Well, that was not difficult to find.

…Huh. Well, okay, then. Not sure whether to call Farfetch’d a joke character still or not.

Well, interesting!

Funnily enough, though Farfetch’d is legendary for being a joke character, it is, more specifically, legendary for being a joke character by the standards of single-stage or final-evolution Pokémon. However, given the premise of this game, that will not be a factor for the time being. Heck, I’d probably use Farfetch’d after this if not for, well… Reddybear wins.

Don’t worry, I won’t name it “Dux.” Though I was briefly tempted, just as a sort of historical gag.

Given Farfetch’d’s legendary skill with a leek (say what you will about its power, but I’d like to see anyone else try to cut down a small tree with a green onion stalk), I feel it only fitting to name him after the greatest swordsman who ever lived.

Also, fun fact: I strongly considered using Farfetch’d for this run instead of Poochyena. I do find Farfetch’d rather charming. Like I said, I seem to favor the underdogs, in the Pokémon world. Perhaps another time, in another game.

And still one less HP than the Level 10 Spoony.

Go, Spoony! GO, GO, GO!

Woo!

I think he may lack the luck of his namesake, though.

Of course she did.

Leer? Really? That doesn’t sound so…

Screenshot from a video by Noah Antwiler

Oh.

Never mind.

Like Yoda, you are speaking.

Oh dear. At least this isn’t old-school D&D, else we’d have to roll up a new Farfetch’d.

And no, I did not say for him to stay until after he had split up and would have gotten even farther away if I had not issued that command.

Separations in this game happen so oft, it seems, I am debating on whether I should even mention them, at this point.

Also, why is Farfetch’d blocked by water? He is both Flying-type and, y’know, a duck .

That was with Reddybear initially at full health.

…Yeah, multi-hit moves in this game are broken. For some reason, they deal roughly as much as a normal attack per hit . How did that get past QA testing, exactly? I mean, at least stuff like F.E.A.R. requires a very specific setup, so I can see why that would slip past, but multi-hit moves are not exactly rare.

Oh well. Victory is ours!

Got Max Elixir, 200 PoKé, and 30 rescue points.

I’m kinda sad to see Spoony leave the party. It’s nothing personal, Spoony, so do not think of this as BETRAYAL!

Day 13: Wherein Joat decides that putting a bear and honey in the same room will end well.

Well, that is certainly substantial.

…

Insert predictable highly immature joke here.

They make delivery service sound so epic.

Of course he is! He got to meet Spoony in person!

A decent haul.

For some reason, me taking down Zapdos verself is not considered newsworthy. The importance of eating food is, though!

Well, that’s convenient.

He wuvs meeeee!

Sweet, sweet irony…

Useful! Though, mainly for fragile escorts. Like Reddybear at times…

Oh wait, actual escorts who are part of an escort mission can’t follow basic instructions, never mind.

Cherithe is best bug-zapper.

I was considering linking some moves, but then I rememebered that Reddybear does not need the offensive help.

Yaaaay…

Okay, to be fair, Beedrill’s Fury Attack is quite remarkable, as demonstrated, but I kinda doubt we’ll be using Weedle for long enough for that to be relevant. Especially since, well, the premise.

I decided to take inspiration from the final evolution and name her Honey, sugah.

That said, neither honey nor weedles are known for their resiliency, so…

Oy! I didn’t mean for you to keep your distance from me!

I know rocks in water are a common sight in nature, but in this game, it is a truly tragic sight to see one land there.

Well, this Ampharos seems quite happy that their package is close to delivery. That, or ve’s jumping for vis previous Hurl Orb which ended up being hurled and embedded into the ceiling.

I do not want to let Beedrill get a word in, here, given what happened last time.

The mean bee’s trying to take my Honey!

And welcome to the jam.

That said, Cherithe has enough close-range moves and has enough trouble conserving PP, even with “Dedicated Traveler,” so I shall actually forgo that move, due to its low PP. Yeah, sure, Slam is likely more powerful, but Cherithe tends to take things out in a single Thundershock, anyway.

Um?

Oh. That was embarrassing.

Blissfully unaware of how I tried to bean ver in the head with a rock.

…Well, this is awkward.

There she is, just walking in circles.

Rectangles.

Whatever.

You’re welcome, Beedrill.

You sure did, Honey!

No, not you, Red, the other “Honey.”

Quite a nice haul, this! We received 600 PoKé, Max Elixir, 10 Gravelrocks, a Sky Gummi, a Power Band (ups Attack when held), and 50 rescue points.

I think this is the first one that actually resembles news in any way. Maybe the news is turning a new leaf!

Nope, never mind.

That said, news entry #6 shows just how much grinding the game expected me to have done that I did not actually do. That news was supposed to have arrived presumably shortly after the Skarmory fight. Or possibly earlier, if this was intended to be foreshadowing.

It is so nice to have my rock stock back up again.

After the Decrepit Lab purchase, there is but one left. An expensive one, but still, so very close, now.

Reddybear, what did you do this time?

Is it Valentine’s Day or something? The first one is hitting on me, the second one wants to see their love, the third one wants me to save their relationship, and the fourth one is apparently will settle for anything that moves.

Yes, it’s in an outdated location and there’s only one job there, but, well, this letter came specifically to me. If I don’t do this, nobody will!

…Yeah, I know, I am far too soft, even by bubblegum standards.

Wee…

But… But I already have a Malchoir!

sigh Oh well. Sorry, Zigzagoon!

Funny I should gain a Spearow so soon after gaining what Spearow was traded for once upon a time.

…Okay, I’m not that mean.

According to its RSE Pokédex entries, Spearow can, to warn others of danger, let out a shriek audible over a half-mile away. Kinda like a warning siren! As well, Sirens in Greek mythology are hybrids of humans and birds.

…

In any case, let us carry on!

That’s my Reddybear! He keeps on tickin’, then gives a lickin’!

Reddybear was following along just fine, then abruptly decided to go the other direction.

Was it something on my breath?

At long last.

She sounds like she’s trying way too hard to be hip.

sigh

Anyway, we got 200 PoKé and 5 rescue points. There was only one level up, and that was our guest star…

On the bright side, we have a mailbox mission in a more high-difficulty, and thus high-experience, location.

Too long without his beloved, I trust?

Getting closer to that last friend area.

Spinarak, you seriously need to keep better track of which strands are sticky, next time.

Here’s hoping I get a rather good Gold Gummi haul…

Personally, I’d be afraid of getting a splinter.

Okay, yeah, I know Sudowoodo is actually, well, pseudo-wood.

I wonder if anyone has ever made a fake potted Sudowoodo decoration as a joke, either in the Pokémon world or as real-world merchandise. If not, someone should, really.

Good heavens, that’s a lot of food.

Woo!

The best kind of problem to have.

A good strategic tool. I shall go ahead and have that replace Sand Attack.

And still no Gold Gummi, yet.

Useful, I suppose, though that’s a rather stilted name.

And at long last, the average party level is 19!

Yeah, I know I was hoping for the minimum party level to be 19 by the end of all this grinding, but I need to be mindful of the audience, when choosing how much to grind.

Sadly, that mission had to be left uncompleted. I was hoping the game would throw Gold Gummies at me like last time, but alas, no…

Now seems like a good time.

…I think I’ll keep it under the “strategic repositioning” bin and leave it at that…

Is TPS a term that exists? I think I’d like to make TPS a term that exists.

Reddybear shall have none of thy nonsense, good sir!

Oh dear… You okay there, Red? Are you finding out what blue tastes like?

Without the requested Gold Gummi.

Which means only one of the three missions has actually been completed.

Yaaaay…

Our rewards, as a result, are a mere Max Elixir and 10 rescue points. But at the very least, we went up in a decent number of levels. Mostly because I was spamming moves like crazy, trying to get anyone to join up with the team. I think the past few dungeon runs have spoiled me, on that.

“Oops?” Why “Oops?” I imagine my reaction would be more along the lines of “Time to go dive into all this PoKé like Scrooge McFarfetch’d.”

And so, here we are once again, this time more prepared. Somewhat.

This is why I am not too concerned when Cherithe walks off to attack something.

Anyway, doing remarkably well, this time! I have yet to hit any close calls.

Sure, he may be somewhat fragile, but when he gets the first hit…

It is nice to have some of that overpowered multi-hit move pool on my side, too. Not that enemies tend to survive more than one swipe, mind, but…

Also, it’s nice that Doduo, the enemy multi-hitter of the area, seems to be somewhat on the fragile side, from what I am seeing.

This move is a fair bit of a hazard, being a 100% damage reflect move unless the move being dealt to the defender is a KO, but at least there’s some ability to work around it.

For example, throwing rocks!

Speaking of broken moves, I’ll be putting this into storage instead of using it (I may change my mind if fake difficulty ramps up, hence me not outright selling it). So you know, since this game does not use gender, this move can hit anyone (unless they have the Oblivious ability, which very few do), and anyone hit by it is unable to act for a few turns.

This seems quite fitting.

Quite useful, aye! I wish Cherithe had that one. Especially since her status move does nothing else, whereas Reddybear’s at least also does damage.

I think the game heard me and is now taunting me about it.

But now, it is ours.

Woo!

I quite like owls. If I play Gold again, I should probably have a Hoothoot in the party, despite it not looking so cute, so I can have a Noctowl in the party later.

Heck, maybe I’ll do a full-bird party, since I already beat the game normally once (not including catching them all, because I am not that mad).

That’s a lot of Oran Berries. Which is good, because I really need one right about now.

Reddybear must be feeling quite left out, right about now.

I do hope Murkrow joins us at some point in this dungeon. I quite like Murkrow, as well.

…Yes, I may have a bit of a bird bias.

Something else I found, but sadly, this one is likely just going to be sold. It’s very rare for an enemy to be holding anything, too rare to justify this. And even if they are, would this even work if I’m holding something? I’d rather not trade away my poison immunity for the slim chance of denying an enemy their potentially-useless-anyway item.

I should seek the truth behind my own past more often, because it’s quite profitable.

Interesting, the things some people leave lying around.

Though, what’s more interesting is that, somehow, all three of us can learn it.

That said, given that it deals no immediate damage and most battles do not last very long, this is another one of those moves that’s more effective when used against the players than when used by the players.

…Yeah, I may wish to set my active move to something with more than 1PP.

Actually remembering to select “Set” after taking a screenshot would help.

Smooooke near the waaateerr…

Apparently not hidden very well.

You’d think the dog would be the one giving the licks, rather than taking them.

Fun fact: Aside from bear and kitty form, Red has also been known to take bull form. So, this would have been another candidate for the Red name. Then again, Tauros is not exactly fond of the color red, so perhaps not.

Oh, sure! My name’s Joat, her name is Cherithe, and his name is… uh… You can call him “Bear,” for short, eheheh…

I suppose if you’re gonna be so anti-red, I may as well give you a name to match.

Green is quite tanky, for that level, though I suppose I would expect that from a bull. I think I can safely set him to go on the offensive, considering that.

Maaan, Green even channels his RAAAGE against the enemies. A perfect rival for Reddybear!

OH GEEZ, VE’S MAKING ROAST BEEF!

Cherithe: Yes! We’ve finally made it to the top, Joat!

All four of us, oddly enough. I heard it was supposed to be lonely at the top.

Cherithe: This is the Hill of the Ancients…

You don’t say…

Cherithe: Look! Over there!

Why is this a surprise?

Cherithe: Joat! Is that Xatu over there?

Judging by the naming conventions of this land, yes.

???: …

Cherithe: Hello?

???: … …

Cherithe: Maybe he doesn’t hear me? Hello?!

???: … … …

Um, Cherithe? If that’s the case, Xatu is probably deaf. Perhaps try tapping its shoulder? Well, to the degree it can be considered to have shoulders, anyway.

Is it truly wise to have such a tone toward someone who is in prime shoving-you-off-a-cliff position?

???: … … … …

Cherithe: It’s useless. He’s not responding at all. Maybe he’s sleeping while on his feet?

Though it’s obvious that the latter is a bad idea, I’m pretty sure that the former is, too, when the Xatu in question is standing so close to the edge. Okay, to be fair, Xatu is a flying type, but still, causing someone to fall off the edge of a cliff is just plain rude.

Cherithe: Huh? Tickle him? …OK. It’s worth a try.

My thought would have been to wait until the sun goes down. I mean, he stares into the sun all day, so he should be finished when it sets.

Then again, the protagonist is presumably meant to be a child and we all know how patient they are, so…

Do it a bit more, Cherithe! Xatu’s dots will soon break free from the tyranny of the text box!

Cherithe: Tickle, tickle, tickle…

Cherithe: Gasp, gasp…

Apparently, Tickle only has 28PP.

Cherithe: It’s no good, Joat. He’s not responding.

???: Snort…

That or he has a really poor reaction time.

Cherithe: Huh?

???: Snort… Giggle… Bufufufufufufufufu…

Actually, no, I think he’s just laughing at us.

Cherithe: He’s finally laughing now… Is he… just dense?

Actually, I’d say his density is pretty low, given the height and weight figures given by Bulbapedia.

Cherithe: Yikes!

???: Witness it… The sinking of the sun…

Y’know, I really should watch the sunset more oft, myself. Though, I admit, I am not in the best position to do that. My view is fairly obstructed, where I live. But, even to the degree I can, I tend not to. Nor the sunrise. 'Tis a shame, really.

Eep! I’m sorry, I’ll stop bothering you, just please don’t glare at us like that anymore!

???: I am Xatu.

You don’t say.

Xatu: You discerned my true identity…

Well… yes. It was not very difficult.

Xatu: You are not an ordinary sort…

Hear that, Snubbul? I am something special, gosh-darnit!

Well, that, or I am just a huge Pokénerd.

Yeah, probably that.

Cherithe: Guessed your identity? That’s a bit much.

Xatu: …No. I can tell this.

Well… yes, I am not surprised that you can tell that we figured out your identity.

Xatu: You there. You are no ordinary Pokémon.

That’s a rather odd thing for him to say about a Poochyena.

Xatu: You are… human, yes?

I am guessing Green is wondering just what it is that he signed up for, right about now.

Cherithe: Huh?! How can you tell that?!

Wow, it’s almost like he’s psychic or something!

Xatu: All day… I stare at the sun unblinking.

I’m no expert at clairvoyance, clearly, but I’m still pretty sure that’s not an answer.

Xatu: It gives me sight for all things.

Oh.

I’m pretty sure if I tried that, I wouldn’t have sight for much of anything, myself.

Xatu: The past and the future, too.

You can see the title screen and the end credits?

Cherithe: If you know, please tell us, Xatu! Next to me is my friend Joat…

A lovely sentiment, but is an introduction necessary, at this point?

Cherithe: My friend woke up one morning as a Pokémon. And, without any memory as a human. Xatu, you can tell, can’t you?

Cherithe: What do you mean?! What does Joat have to do with the natural disasters we’ve been seeing?

Wait a second… I’ve got it!

The natural disasters are caused by Bunny Link using the medallions! He’s tapping into their power, not realizing the environmental ramifications of his actions! Joat got caught in one of the Quake spells, but instead of turning into an onion with a face, he got turned into a Poochyena!

…Or maybe the narrator who gave the quiz is responsible for the disasters, or something.

Xatu: …

I think we need to insert another quarter.

Cherithe: What is it?! Why did you clam up?! Please, tell us! Please!

Xatu: There are bigger concerns… I am afraid… The world’s balance… It must be restored. Or the unthinkable shall befall our world.

And apparently the unspeakable, since he isn’t specifying what it is.

Cherithe: Huh…? You’re serious?! The world… The unthinkable is coming?

Xatu: Every day I see it. The same future every day…

Ugh… Reruns…

Xatu: I dread it…

Cherithe: Xa-Xatu…

Xatu: I fear it… The world’s destruction.

…including the internet?

Cherithe: The world’s destruction…?

Gengar: That Joat… was human…

Gengar: This is going to be useful! This should be interesting! Kekeh!

So, let me get this straight, Gengar. From what I can gather, your plan at this point is as follows:

1: Create a rescue team.

2: Defeat Team Zephyrai, who are the only other ones who know about the world’s impending doom and may, in fact, be vital to stopping the world from being destroyed.

Cherithe: Let’s keep on doing good… actually, I want to ask you something.

“Nah, I’m perfectly fine with the fact that we just learned the end of the world is coming and also we didn’t hear anything about how to stop it because the conversation just suddenly stopped there, apparently.”

Cherithe: Yes, I guess you would be concerned too, Joat. There’s supposed to be a link between the world’s balance being upset and how you became a Pokémon… And because of the world’s upset balance, natural disasters have been occurring… And more than anything, he said that the world will be ruined if the balance isn’t restored…

Yes, Cherithe, I was, in fact, listening too.

Cherithe: I want to do something… But there’s something I don’t understand. So, uh… The world’s balance… What is it?

That’s a very good question. For Xatu.

Heck, even if she only just now thought of it, what’s stopping us from going up there again?

Perhaps there’s a problem with the world’s inner ear?

Cherithe: …OK. I guess so. You wouldn’t know. I can’t imagine what the world’s balance is about… To be honest, I don’t know what we should do…

Sacrifice a Gogoat to appease the Balance Gods?

Cherithe: I guess we’ll just have to do what we can. One thing at a time…

We’ll do what we can. Because. We must.

Oh sure… as a “charm”…

Raided the candy supply again, huh?

It’s been a while. Let’s visit Spoony!

Reading certain D&D books again, hm?

Anyway, onward to town!

Zapdos, apparently.

Snubbull: I always thought it was only a legend.

Has there ever been a legend in the history of all media that has not been true? I mean, other than legends that are unanimously seen as true, which are almost always shams.

Bellsprout: But could it be true? I’m having a hard time believing it…

Cherithe: Hi, what’s happening?

Lombre: Well, you know the Ninetales legend? That old story?

Apparently, they don’t believe Ninetales exists. ‘Kay, then.

Cherithe: The Ninetales legend? What’s that?

Lombre: What, you don’t know? You know, it’s that old fairy tale. How you’ll get cursed if you ever grab one of Ninetales’s tails.

Ninetales is kind of petty like that.

Also, why issue a curse for grabbing one’s tail and not for, say, trying to inflict bodily harm upon the Ninetales? And what about owners, especially those interested in contests? Wouldn’t it be kind of awkward, trying to brush a Ninetales’ tail without grabbing it? And what if it was falling off a cliff and the only thing you could grab in time was its tail? Would it curse you then? Is it even voluntary, or is it just some automatic thing their tails do?

Okay, mostly I am joking around, but given that I actually have a Ninetales character that I sometimes use for RPing, the nature of this curse would definitely be useful information.

Snubbull: All this time, everyone thought it was just a legend. But lately, it’s been rumored that maybe it really happened.

Couldn’t you just find a Ninetales and ask them? I mean, granted, it could still just be a rumor they started to stop others from grabbing their tails, but still…

Bellsprout: Well, it is still a mere rumor. I wouldn’t put too much stock in that story if I were you.

I know that this becomes pertinent information rather quickly, but in the eyes of Bellsprout, what decision would I encounter where this rumor would affect it? I mean, the only one I can think of is the decision on whether to grab one of Ninetales’ tails without permission, and I’m pretty sure common courtesy can provide a satisfactory answer, there.

Bellsprout: Personally, I don’t believe in rumors of that sort.

Lombre: If you want to know more about the Ninetales legend… You should go see a Pokémon named Whiscash. He knows the story well. Whiscash is uh… You know, in his pond.

…Is that a euphemism for something?

Lombre: You should visit him if you want to know more.

Eh, sure, why not?

Caterpie: It was fun.

Metapod: The folklore was fun and interesting. Whiscash is very wise.

Very well, but if ve’s not actively telling a story or interacting with you in any way, why are you just standing here? Why not go and play? Preferably not deep in a dangerous forest without parental supervision, this time.

Whiscash: Hohoho. Fine, then. Let me recount the tale. There once lived a Pokémon by the name of Ninetales.

Something tells me that is not a unique occurrence.

Whiscash: Now, Ninetales had many tails, all of them imbued with psychic power… It was said that anyone so foolish as to touch a tail would be cursed for a thousand years.

I imagine most of those years of curse may go to waste.

Whiscash: But there was someone so foolish as to grab a tail. And it was a human.

Cherithe: A human?

Whiscash: Yes, a human.

Well, having opposable thumbs does help, when trying to grab something.

Whiscash: As one might expect, the human that grabbed the tail was subjected to a thousand-year curse. However, just when the curse was cast, a Pokémon named Gardevoir shielded the human…

Does that mean that the curse is a projectile of some sort that can be blocked or dodged?

Whiscash: And sacrificed herself to absorb the curse.

Cherithe: Why? Why would that Pokémon, Gardevoir, take the human’s place?

Whiscash: To Gardevoir, that human was her partner. There exist strong bonds between humans and Pokémon.

Cherithe: …OK. But humans… Aren’t there good humans and bad ones too?

Fancy that…

Whiscash: Correct. Taking pity on Gardevoir, Ninetales asked the human this… “Do you wish to save Gardevoir?” it asked… But the human had already abandoned Gardevoir and fled.

I can understand being afraid and fleeing, but seriously, cursed or no, recalling a Pokémon is a simple matter of pulling a ball from your pocket and pressing a button, right?

Whiscash: Ninetales became disillusioned with the human… And it made this prediction… “That human will one day be reborn as a Pokémon…”

That’s a rather specific edge-case effect of the curse.

Cherithe: What?! A human turn into a Pokémon?!

…Well, to be fair, would you be able to resist hugging one of those super-fluffy tails?

Whiscash: “And when the human becomes a Pokémon… The world’s balance will be upset…” …And that is how the legend ends.

Wait, so what you’re saying is, not only is Ninetales so petty that it will curse one for about ten times the victim’s lifespan (if we take an optimistic look at their expected lifespan) for such a minor thing, but they are willing to do so despite being fully aware that, under certain circumstances (which, let’s face it, aren’t exactly one-in-a-million), it will potentially destroy the world.

Look, I can understand wanting to protect one’s prized tails, but couldn’t you, like, use a different curse on the offender? Y’know, one that won’t potentially destroy the planet? Or maybe just wound or kill them? Or write a very stern letter to them, or just… anything else! Some common sense, please!

Whiscash: Well? Did you find it interesting?

Cherithe: …

Whiscash: Ah-hah! You found it so interesting, you’re at a loss for words? Hohoho. There’s no need to wear such a serious expression. Certainly some rumors say that the legend may actually be true… But it is only ancient folklore, nothing more. If you feel the urge to hear my tale again, come see me. Hohoho.

Cherithe: Want to call it a day now? I can’t seem to get motivated today…

Eh, no problem. The Pokémon scared and starving alone in a chasm can wait a bit longer.

Cherithe: But I just can’t seem to get motivated. I guess it’s because I heard that story. Ahahaha…

Couldn’t we just have Spoony pinch-hit for this situation, or something?

Cherithe: I guess I’ll go home and try to get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Cherithe: I started doubting you a little, Joat…

Given my performance early on, I believe that’s called common sense.

Cherithe: But I’m not going to worry anymore.

Still kinda made of tissue paper, but my level has caught up, so at least I’m made of reinforced tissue paper now, I guess.

Cherithe: I believe in you, Joat. Because you’re a friend like no other, Joat. You’re a friend… Like I’d never get again…

Aw… Lonely Cherithe…

I guess that explains why she was wandering out in that field all alone…

Joat: Oh? It’s saying something! But… I can’t quite make it out… It’s clearer than it was before, but…

I’ll try talking to it.

I’d ask why he expects this to work, since talking generally makes the other end of the conversation harder to hear rather than easier, but we’re working by dream logic here, so…

Joat: Hello. Please tell me. You… Who are you?

Judging by the naming conventi… Okay, I think you know the drill by now.

: …I am…

…all I am all I am.

: I am Gardevoir.

Joat: Ga-Gardevoir…?!

Gardevoir: I’m so glad. Finally… I finally got to meet you…

Joat: …? Finally met me…? You knew me from before? What about me?

“Met” implies a first-time encounter. Is this a translation error, or something?

Gardevoir: I am your…

…Creepy stalker?

Joat: I want to know more… No… It’s fading… … …

The next morning…

You keep using that term, which makes me wonder how boring your normal dreams must be.

Joat: It’s the dream I always have, but it was clearer than it was before… I think I finally learned who that Pokémon was… That’s it! Gardevoir! It was Gardevoir! Yesterday, Whiscash said…

Whiscash: Yes, a human. As one might expect, the human that grabbed the tail was subject to a curse of a thousand years. However, just as the curse was cast, a Pokémon named Gardevoir shielded the human… And sacrificed herself to absorb the curse.

Cherithe: Why? Why would that Pokémon, Gardevoir, take the human’s place?

Whiscash: To Gardevoir, that human was her partner. There exist strong bonds between humans and Pokémon.

Joat: …Maybe… Maybe, I… Maybe I was the human who was Gardevoir’s partner…

If I were in that situation, if I figured the dreams were in any way prophetic (and they are way too coherent to not be), I would not be using the term “maybe.” I mean, the evidence looks decently clear, here (provided we do count the use of the term “met” as a translation error), and there aren’t really any other plausible explanations floating about.

Joat: Maybe I was the one who abandoned Gardevoir when she was cursed… Maybe that’s why I turned into a Pokémon…

Cherithe: When I was on the way here, I think there was a commotion at Pokémon Square.

Yesterday, Cherithe walked off to the left, implying her home is that way. Did she really take that big of a detour on the way here?

Cherithe: I wonder if something happened…

Why are you leaving all of my stuff completely unguarded, Kangaskhan?

Cherithe: The town’s atmosphere is different somehow…

Cherithe: Maybe something happened.

Zombie apocolypse, perhaps?

Cherithe: Joat, let’s check it out!.

Bellsprout: Let me tell you, I was amazed! It really was true!

Cherithe: What was true?

Bellsprout: The NInetales legend! I never believed the rumors, so you can bet I was shocked to learn the truth!

Caterpie: Joat, Cherithe.

Cherithe: Oh, hi, Caterpie.

Cherithe: Even you came out, Caterpie?

Why is that a surprise? Caterpie is clearly an outdoorsy type. As are most Pokémon, I imagine.

Snubbull: Ssh! Quiet. That guy there’s telling us. Keep it down.

Cherithe: Huh? Who’s talking

Caterpie: I-it’s…

Caterpie, if you’re that scared of Gengar, why not just hear the story second-hand. Or… second… whatever those stubby things you have are called.

Gengar: …So, I went up to the Hill of the Ancients.

For absolutely no explained reason.

Gengar: And that’s where I saw it! It was shocking stuff, I tell you! Kekeh!

Lombre: Shocking stuff?

Gengar: This certain Pokémon was getting advice from Xatu.

Gengar: That Pokémon… It looks like an ordinary Pokémon…

Gengar: But get this! It was originally a human!

Huh. So the Xatu used to be human. Who knew?

Bellsprout: What?!

Snubbull: It really existed… A human that turned into a Pokémon.

Gengar: There’s more. Xatu told the human… That how the human became a Pokémon has a lot to do with how the world’s balance is upset.

Lombre: Wait a second… That’s exactly like the NInetales legend!

Gengar: Kekeh! Don’t be too shocked yet. There’s more.

Gengar: You all know how there’ve been many natural disasters, correct?

…Kiiiinda hard to miss.

Gengar: According to Xatu, those disasters are caused by the world’s balance being upset. And if the world’s balance isn’t restored soon…

Gengar: The unthinkable will happen to the world! That’s what Xatu said! Kekeh!

Lombre: Wh-what?

Bellsprout: The world… The unthinkable’s going to happen?

Snubbull: What are we to do?!

Cherithe: That Gengar…! He’s deliberately working everyone up…

True, but he hasn’t told a single lie thus far. And honestly, I think this is important stuff to know, even if expressed for the wrong reason, in this case.

Honestly, if we’d told everyone the tale like we probably should have done, we probably could have nipped this in the bud.

Gengar: Now, now, people. There’s no need to panic.

It’s only the destruction of the world, after all!

Gengar: Why, I think there’s a way we can do something about this. Kekeh!

Snubbull: Wh-what can we do?

Gengar: Oh, it’s quite simple, actually. If the world’s balance is upset by a human becoming a Pokémon…

Gengar: Then, if that human is gone, then everything should return to normal, correct?

In Teen Titans, I remember an episode where Raven and Terra were arguing about whether or not to destroy a console. If memory serves, Terra wanted to destroy it, thinking that doing so would stop the process of a bad thing happening. Raven wanted not to destroy it, since they might be destroying their only way to stop the process.

Now, I was with Terra on that one, since a console you don’t know how to use is pretty much useless anyway, but the point is, if they get rid of that former human and it turns out they’re the only one who can stop it, the world’s kinda screwed.

Lombre: Th-that’s true!

Snubbull: When you put it that way… maybe you’re right.

Gengar: Kekeh! And that human is the rotten coward that abandoned Gardevoir, correct?

Gengar: I don’t think the human can complain about anything if we get rid of it.

Gengar: Isn’t that right, Joat?

Lombre: Who… What?! It… It can’t be!

Bellsprout: Y-you… You were that human?!

Snubbull: Is that true? Hey!

…

Ah yes, I guess I can understand why you would think I was the coward who did that.

For that matter, didn’t these incidents start before my arrival? I mean, I don’t think it was ever stated, but it was at the very least strongly implied.

Cherithe: W-w-wait… This is, like… There’s a good explanation for…

Snubbull: We’re not asking you, we’re asking Joat!

Ah, yes, time to clear my name!

Snubbull: Hey! Joat! So what is it?!

…Oh, right, silent protagonist, crap…

Cherithe: Joat…

Caterpie: Joat…

Gengar: Kekekekekekeh! Looks like you have nothing to say in your defense, Joat!

Gengar: That’s how it is, fellow Pokémon.

Gengar: Let’s get rid of Joat and regain peace. Kekekekekeh!

Cherithe: Wh-what? E-everyone, what’s gotten into you? What are you going to do?

Lombre: Joat, forgive me!

I just missed getting a screenshot of it, but Lombre attacked with a fierce punch which, well, missed. And then the other Pokémon close in for the attack, taking their sweet time with actually attacking.

Cherithe: Wah! What are you doing?!

I think it’s rather clear. I mean, what did you expect them to do, if their plan was to get rid of the human in question? Give him the keys to a shiny new spaceship and kindly tell him to go to Mars?

Remember what I said at the beginning, about the game not knowing what they want to do with the protagonist? There’s a reason why the protagonist in the main series games is silent. It’s so they don’t say something the player would not say, or in a way the player would not say it, and such is a good way to go about things, otherwise this happens.

This game, by the quiz at the beginning, clearly wants me to be able to put myself into the role of this character, but even if I were 100% convinced that I was guilty of dooming the entire planet, I would never say either of those things. Not even close. Nowadays, I would just come right out and state my suspicions. When I was 10, I’m not sure what I would have done, but unless I planned to heroically sacrifice my life to potentially save the world, I’m pretty sure I would not want to go it alone. Even way back then, I understood the concept of safety in numbers.

With the thing before, with the character not speaking, I could at least see myself locking up under such a situation or something like that, but with this…

*sigh* Well, I guess I’ll choose the first option.

Cherithe: Wh-what’s the matter? What makes you say that all the sudden?

The script.

Cherithe: Give up our rescue team? It’s not like you to say that, Joat.

Say what you will about how I wouldn’t say that, but honestly, I think that it’s a logical thing to do. It’s kind of hard to maintain a rescue team when you are a wanted fugitive.

Cherithe: Is something the matter?

You mean other than the story yesterday and me being nearly beaten by a mob just now?

I mean, for crying out loud, say what you will about whether I should be the leader of a rescue team, but my Run Away ability was pretty darn vital back there…

Well, that, or I could have pointed out that we recently took down Zapdos. I mean, would you want to mess with that team?

Cherithe: …Huh? You had a dream? And Gardevoir appeared in it?

“And you were there, and you, and you…”

Cherithe: …And that made you think that maybe you were that human after all…

Cherithe: …So that’s what it is. That’s what happened…

Cherithe: Listen, Joat. Did your dream make you remember what you were like as a human being? Since it didn’t, you don’t know what really happened.

Much as I appreciate the sentiment, were I in that position, I do not think that would be a very convincing argument.

Cherithe: I… I have faith in you, Joat. You know that? So…

Alakazam: After that scene in Pokémon Square… We held a town meeting… On what we must do to save the world… And we arrived at a consensus. We must get rid of you.

This is actually fairly dark. I mean, consider the target demographic. Sure, I was 25 at time of original writing, but the target demographic is about 10. And though they haven’t outright stated it, I kinda doubt they plan to simply make the former human faint.

In short, for most of the people playing this game at the time, the town has unanimously decided to murder a small child. Without conclusive proof, at that.

Cherithe: You’re kidding!

Alakazam: I was incredulous too… I had hoped it would not come to this, but… It is unfortunate. We will… Defeat you with all our might!

Cherithe: (W-we’re fighting here…?)

Alakazam: We will give you tonight.

Cherithe: Huh?

Alakazam: Pack your supplies and get out of here.

It’s a good thing I’m pretty well-prepared for travel, considering that all of my supplies that aren’t already packed are, well, in town.

Alakazam: Come tomorrow, rescue teams of all sorts will take up the chase… And attack you without hesitation.

Are you and the rest of the town set on this or not? I mean, I could understand if only this team are sparing them for now, delaying and only later going out to save face, but apparently all of the rescue teams agreed to this.

Either you are fully certain that Joat is the cause of all this, in which case you are endangering the entire world (at which point Joat would die along with the rest of the world, for that matter), or you aren’t and therefore shouldn’t be attacking Joat yet, instead perhaps imprisoning them and trying to figure out the truth while you have them in containment. Or, if you’re really desperate, kill Joat right now. Either way, you are either delayed in killing Joat, during which time the disasters are still going on, thus making this objectively worse than just killing him now, or you are letting him get away, but wasting a whole bunch of resources trying to find him again, making this objectively worse than doing nothing at all.

Alakazam: And not just you. Anyone that goes with Joat will be considered an enemy. The trackers will attack without mercy. That goes for us too. We will join the hunt to be rid of you.

Against all odds, you must run. Run, run… And survive. You must run till you discover the truth.

So you’re reasonably certain that we’re innocent, and… Actually, I take it back. Even keeping up appearances isn’t an excuse. First off, unless you have an audience nearby, if you meet up with Team Zephyrai, you can simply “fail” to apprehend them, and secondly, if you’re reasonably certain I’m not guilty, why did you not speak up? And if you did, why didn’t they listen? Are they seriously taking the hearsay of a team called Team Meanies over the word of a well-respected gold-rank team whose leader is explicitly stated to be very knowledgeable? Wouldn’t that at least give the town pause for thought?

Cherithe: Alakazam…

Alakazam: There will be no mercy the next time we meet. Farewell.

Cherithe: In their own way, Alakazam’s team has faith in you too.

In their own incredibly confusing and nonsensical way.

Cherithe: Didn’t I say this before? I’m not going to worry anymore. Whatever happens, I’ll always have faith in you, Joat. Even if we’re attacked by other teams, I won’t be scared.

Cherithe: What good will it do if you don’t believe in yourself, Joat?

Cherithe: Caterpie…

Caterpie: Joat… I made a promise, remember? That we would make a rescue team base here. That I would join your rescue team when I grew up. Joat… Don’t give up. You’re a hero to me, Joat. I believe in you too, Joat.

If they’re only superficially going to give the player options, why not just have the character speak up without having the player select an option? I mean, these aren’t even really different flavors of affirmation. I could at least understand it if one of the options were something like “Alright… I’ll try my best.” At least then, you’re doing some role-playing, because one option sounds confident and the other sounds a bit more uncertain and scared. Which, let’s face it, would describe me through pretty much the entirety of this adventure.

Cherithe: Yeah! That’s right! That’s more like it! That’s what we expect from our Joat!

Cherithe: We’ll have to leave for the time being… But let’s be sure to come back! And we’ll bring the truth back with us!

And also probably large sums of cash, because that’s generally how this sort of thing goes.

Yes, “part,” rather than “day.” Here is where the time-skips start coming in, and the game is not clear how much time passes with each skip. I considered making this “Day 19+X”, adding a new variable for each time-skip, but I imagine that joke would get old rather quickly.

The next dawn…

I’m not sure I’d be able to sleep very well, with a bunch of Pokémon within walking distance who wish me dead, but that’s just me.

Speaking of sleep, I wonder what would happen if I chose Delibird as the protagonist. I mean, that one has no sleep sprites, I think. Would it crash every time it tried to show my character asleep on that big pile of hay? Or would it, like, show me standing up, or something?

Well, I’d better be, really.

Cherithe: Yup. Looks like we’re ready. From now on, we’re fugitives. This is goint to be a dangerous trip…

Then why are you smiling?

Cherithe: I don’t want to get our team members involved…

Bah! Who needs safety in numbers, anyway?

Actually, us, but apparently that’s not an option, so…

Cherithe: Let’s not tell them… We’ll just leave by ourselves.

But… But Reddybear…!

Okay, realistically, I can understand this. Whenever a non-critical character is lost normally, they are sent back to their friend area. Not only does that not mesh well with the plot (if they tried to help us, they’re not safe anywhere near town), but that means that once you lose your third member, you’re at a disadvantage for quite some time, since the group cannot return to retrieve that member and, not being an active rescue team, cannot recruit more members along the way. Not to mention, from a game design perspective, since you do not know whether the party still has their third member or not, which scenario do you balance the game for?

Cherithe: We have to get away from the rescue teams hunting us. We have to get away at all cost.

Joat: (…Yes. We have to escape. Like Alakazam said that time…)

Alakazam: Against all odds, you must run. Run, run… And survive. You must run till you discover the truth.

Joat: (Yes… Who am I? Until I discover that truth, I have to run and survive. Even if it means going to the edge of this world…)

Oy! I know you’re an amnesiac, but do you seriously not remember that the Earth is round?

Cherithe: OK! Let’s get going!

: Joat!

Cherithe: Oh, and even Jumpluff!

And also Jumpluff.

Caterpie: Wow, I’m glad! We made it!

Jumpluff: We wanted to see you off, Joat.

: M-me too!

Diglett: I wanted to send you off too.

How did you even know what’s going on?

Cherithe: Everyone…

No, not everyone. Where are Dugtrio, Magnemite, Magnemite, and Magnemite (not including Tesla, who is probably still in the Power Plant)?

Cherithe: It’s a letter. Joat, can you read it?

Joat began reading the letter.

Joat: "Take care! It’s farewell, but only for now. Until the day I can deliver mail to you again… I’ll always be waiting.

“- The wandering postal carrier, Pelipper -”

Okay, interesting, yes, but when and how did Pelipper ever develop a bond toward Team Zephyrai? They never exchanged one line of dialogue! Heck, I don’t think Pelipper ever even looked directly at the team…

Well, at least it wasn’t “I prepared Explosive Runes this morning.”

Cherithe: Even Pelipper…

Cherithe: Sniff… Everyone, thank you!

Diglett: The other Pokémon will be waking up soon. You have to go! Hurry!

Cherithe: Yup. Joat! Let’s go! Hit the road!

Caterpie: Take care!

Jumpluff: We’ll be waiting for both of you to return!

Cherithe: Yup! Thank you! We’ll be back! That’s for sure!

Perhaps not in one piece, but…

Thus began Joat’s cruel and arduous journey as a fugitive. Over forbidding mountains…

That is not a mountain. That is flat land with a fissure in it.

Across fields of fire…

Cherithe: The forest fire is still raging…

And yet we’re walking through it without any discomfort at all.

But throughout it all, Joat’s team kept their heads held high.

Well, as high above the ground as they get, anyway.

Without a complaint, they marched on.

Cherithe: But while we were moving, I couldn’t help thinking…

I’d imagine you’ve done a lot of that, considering how little of a conversationalist I’ve proven to be thus far.

Cherithe: All sorts of places have been affected by the natural disasters. I’m sure many Pokémon are suffering because of the calamities. I wish we could get back to doing our rescue work…

Don’t worry, Cherithe! There are plenty of other rescue teams who can do all of that rescue work!

…But instead, they’re hunting for us, completely ignoring the work for which they are named.

Cherithe: Sorry, I shouldn’t complain. We have to get away now, period.

Cherithe: Huh? I hear voices…

: I think they went this way.

: They can’t get away. Not from all of us.

: We have to get rid of Joat quickly…

How are they within hearing range, but not line of sight? Or within hearing range and not able to hear Team Zephyrai’s conversation, for that matter?

Cherithe: Aww, no! Are they catching up to us? Joat, we’d better go.

Quick, into this cave which has no obvious method of escape!

I know brevity is the soul of wit, but really?

Zubats… Zubats everywhere…

Something tells me they may have scaled back the difficulty A TAD, for the party size.

And we have triple digits, ladies and gentlemen!

I got a roar TM, yaaay…

AAWOOOOO!

…Sorry, had to.

Also, sorry for taking the screenshot at the wrong time and missing, y’know, the actual moon graphic.

Again, the sort of move that’s more useful when used against the player than when used by them.

Ow. Okay, maybe this isn’t so much easier…

Unless I involve Cherithe, that is.

Nnnnope, even that’s no guarantee.

Ow. Again.

…At least it wasn’t a fighting-type move?

Hm…

So it seems.

Cherithe: Where’s the Pokémon mob that was after us?

Behind us, presumably.

: Hey, look! There they are! Over there!

: Catch Joat!

Cherithe: Whoa! Here they come! Run!

Cherithe: They expect us to stop and wait for them?

Apparently, we decided to do exactly that.

That, or we somehow got winded by running a few feet.

Like, seriously, the exit we just came out of is barely off-screen. Did the developers really think people wouldn’t notice?

Next stop: Mordor, apparently.

Cherithe: It… It’s a mountain of fire!

Cherithe, that’s called a volcano.

Cherithe: Look at all that lava pouring from the crater… Can we even make it through there? But they’re catching up to us… What’ll we do, Joat?

Okay, I actually looked this up, because this genuinely confused me, considering how recently she said that Mt. Blaze was the only option. According to Bulbapedia, Rock Path is pretty much just meant to help level the player up if they need it. I suppose I’ll do it anyway, especially since, well it makes sense in story as well. Not only is Mt. Blaze super-dangerous, but there are implied to be two types of pursuers: Those who turned tail and fled, assuming we would be going to Mt. Blaze, and those who are headed to Mt. Blaze. Either way, Rock Path sounds better.

Well, that’s highly useful!

Interesting. That said, combined with gravelrocks, this could be a decent way to finish off a single opponent with relatively little risk.

Cherithe: … I guess that path we took just loops back to where it started.

I have the mental image that those who moved on with the chase are already halfway through, and will be long gone by the time we’re through, because they expected us to know where we’re going a lot better than we actually do.

Cherithe: It looks like we have to go over Mt. Blaze to move on. Joat, let’s do our best!

One storage management session later…

I suppose I should actually move on with the plot, now.

Cherithe: OK! Let’s go! It sounds very rough, but let’s try our best!

Well, record time, that. Not even past the first floor.

I’ll try to conserve my Rawst Berries and just head to the stairs, since I’ve already located it and it is not that far.

…Seriously?

I seem to be getting a lot of duplicate TMs in this game.

Ah yes, I was wondering when I’d encounter lava. Other than seeping from the walls, I mean…

Speaking of duplicates items…

Well, I think I remember it selling for a rather respectable price, so I shall try to keep this if I can, until I can store or sell it.

Hm… While I’ll normally want to hold the Pecha Scarf, I do not think poison will be much of a concern in this dungeon, so switching to this.

Fearow knows a multi-hit move. I should most definitely not hold back.

I think that would be pretty easy to verify simply by looking around to see if there are any parts of this volcano above you.

Cherithe: Wow. This is incredible. I know it’s a volcano, but the lava flow is much higher than normal.

Have you ever been to any volcanoes before now, though, that you can compare this to?

Cherithe: This might also have a link to the natural calamities…

Thankfully, the lava does not come back down in the form of lava rain.

Or at all, for that matter.

Cherithe: Oogh! It’s like a furnace! I’m getting roasted!

Well, yes, naturally.

Okay, realistically, more like a kiln, but we’re not following logic too closely, here.

Cherithe: I don’t want to spend any time in a place this dangerous. Let’s get through this quick.

After a lengthy monologue.

: Halt!

Cherithe: It suddenly turned dark!

How? There’s lava all around!

: I can hear the mountain’s screams… It is shrieking in pain…

Or bubbling.

: Someone is causing Mt. Blaze to writhe in agony! Is it you?!

Cherithe: Huh?! You’ve got it wrong! It’s not us! We just happened to be passing through here!

Admittedly, given how few outsiders dare travel here, not sure that sounds like a very plausible story.

Cherithe: Who are you, anyway? Show yourself!

I’d rather it not show itself and instead let us pass by peacefully, Cherithe, but that’s just me.

: Gyaaaaaaaaaaaah! The mountain’s rage is my rage!

In charge of writing Moltres’s dialogue, Yoda was.

Moltres: There is no forgiving those who befoul the mountain! En garde!

To be fair, I can at least kinda see why Moltres would jump to conclusions. I mean, with Skarmory, the idea was grasping at straws, but here, this is an incredibly dangerous location, inhabited primarily by fire Pokémon and most definitely not by any Poochyenas or Pikachus, and this is not exactly a prime tourism spot. In fact, few rescue teams are willing to set paw in this place. Then, suddenly, everything turns sour at this location, at the same time when two complete strangers show up who are most definitely not from around there. Mind, I’d still prefer to try to get more proof, or at least hear their side of the story, before going straight to violent retribution, but…

*has officially stopped playing fair*

And that sort of thing is a major reason why. Ow.

Nothing can beat the power of love!

And food. Food is also an important part of this mid-combat balanced breakfast.

Quite the drama… king? Queen? What does one call royalty that does not have a gender?

Cherithe: Whew… That was scary… It felt like my knees turned to jelly.

What knees?

Moltres: You may pass. Get through Mt. Blaze. And… Promise me this. Promise me that you will find the cause of the calamities that wrack our world… And stop the disasters from sowing more destruction and suffering.

I’d make a joke about that being a rather tall order for ver to ask of a Poochyena, but that Poochyena actually managed to successfully beat ver up (even if not solo), so fair enough.

It appears that Moltres wishes for us to go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb.

Cherithe: Waaah! We will! We’ll get on it!

Cherithe: We’re being hunted, so we can’t get to it right away… But we’re a rescue team. We’ll investigate what’s behind the natural calamities. I promise.

Moltres: You may pass. Get through Mt. Blaze. And… Promise me this. Promise me that you will find the cause of the calamities that wrack our world… And stop the disasters from sowing more destruction and suffering.

If we don’t deliver, how will ve find us? I mean, ve clearly doesn’t keep track of the outside world in the slightest. How would ve know where to look?

Till finally, Joat’s tiny team arrived in a world of snow… A frigid wasteland of driving blizzards.

You don’t say.

Cherithe: Hachoo!

Cherithe: Yuck… My nose is running, and it’s freezing.

I know that feeling.

Cherithe: Isn’t this one lonely place?

Then suddenly, the snow ninjas attack.

Cherithe: See how deep the snow is.

Bah! This is nothing, you pansy! I’ve lived with lake effect snow before.

Cherithe: I haven’t seen any other Pokémon for a while, either. Maybe we’re all alone here.

You having said that aloud significantly reduces the odds of that.

Well, that and the fact that someone apparently put down salt to thaw this path out.

Cherithe: Wh-what’s that?!

That, dear Cherithe, is Absol, who is primarily a messenger of coming disasters. I can understand ver being a bit late. I mean, I’m guessing ver schedule is… full, as of late.

At the very least, though, I imagine ver job is a lot easier than usual in this case, since ve’s delivering word to Pokémon. I mean, the whole thing of them being considered, by humans, to be a bringer of doom rather than a predictor is due to the language barrier. In this case, though, that’s not an issue.

*ahem* AS I WAS SAYING, THE FACT THAT ABSOL CAN CLEARLY COMMUNICATE VIS MESSAGE MEANS THAT oh forget it…

Cherithe: …What was that? It looked like a Pokémon, but… Did I imagine that? No, I don’t think so. I’m sure there was somebody there. I wonder what they were doing in this lonely place?

Cherithe: I guess thinking about it won’t help us. We should keep moving.

Cherithe: Oh! Joat! Look! See that? Those trees are frozen!

You mean like the ones directly to the left and the right of us?

I agree that falling snow is beautiful, but has she really never seen it before?

Cherithe: It looks pretty, but… It must be harsh there…

Cherithe: It will be horribly cold. I’d rather not go if I didn’t have to… But hiding out in this area isn’t the answer either…

Especially considering that out here is horribly cold, too.

Cherithe: We can only go forward. We’ll just have to keep our spirits up and keep going, Joat!

And hope beyond hope that nothing inflicts the frozen status on us.

Going to Snow path first, for a bit of experience and to see what it looks like.

Kinda nice, actually! Even if the path itself is more ice than snow.

Nom!

Seriously, look at that image and tell me that’s not what it looks like is happening.

Ow.

Cherithe: …I guess that path we took just loops back to whre it started. It looks like we have to get through the Frosty Forest to move on. Joat, let’s do our best!

The coloration makes it look, to me, more like a wasteland than anything frosty.

Ooh, another one! Useless at the moment, but useful to hang onto.

That’s a rather unfortunate thing about this area. Furret is ubiquitous here and tends to flee when at low HP, meaning I often need to use up rocks to finish the job, lest I get snuck up on later by same Furret. And, as seen earlier, it even knows a multi-hit attack!

The water does sort of help make the area look more frozen and less wasteland, at least. Sort of.

Well, that’s interesting. Who is it using as a base, though? Doesn’t it usually strive to copy its opponent?

…

Someone has intruded upon the forest… The enfeebled flow of icy winds… Is the intrusion to blame? It must be stopped. For it is to protect the forest…

We’ve faced Zapdos and Moltres and we’re in a frozen area. Who could it beeee…?

Like, seriously, I imagine that even someone completely new to the series would be suspecting an ice-themed bird, right about now. Heck, during this very LP (and, so you know, this is farther than I got on my prior playthrough before being distracted by something shiny), I suspected Articuno would be showing up from the moment we were shown walking in a winter wonderland.

Uh… This is the first move used.

That was the ditto? Like, seriously, does Transform not give PP to any moves? I mean, unless it happens to have a PP-restoring item, the only moveset advantage one gets from Transform is being able to get Transform out of the way, in order to have the privilege of using Struggle.

The game sure loves this TM, doesn’t it?

Interesting! A fight against a Mightyena.

I imagine this fight would be a lot more difficult if it actually, y’know, attacked at some point.

As if this fight needed to be any easier.

Uh…

Aaaaand another one.

And we know what this means…

I do kinda wish the actual snow effect were present for the entire time, but I do understand, hardware limitations and all. That said, with the subtle tinting, this finally actually looks like snow!

Huh. I know this is a RhyHORN, not a RhyDON, but this still highlights the absurdity of Pikachu’s striking the horn with a lightning attack and winning.

Cherithe: I think we’ll be out if we can get through this part. It shouldn’t be afar. Let’s keep going.

Er, you look to be more on a plateau than in the forest at this point, but alright.

: …

Cherithe: …Huh? Joat, did you just say something?

I did not. Nor did anyone else, for that matter.

Cherithe: …I didn’t think so… I thought I heard a voice… I must have imagined it.

: … …Turn back. You may not pass…

…Nah, not gonna make that joke. Too easy.

Cherithe: Who’s there?!

: You are forbidden to pass… If you persist in trying to pass… Then, so be it… but only after you have defeated me!

Cherithe: The ice around us is reflecting the light!

Articuno used Flash!

Fancy that.

Interestingly, Articuno is one of my many favorite Pokémon. Sylvanus’ (one of my tulpae), too.

You mean aside from all the other Pokémon who have entered the forest, who we fought through to get here?

Because of course I open the fight with that.

It seems I have melted vis heart…

I think I came on too strongly. Ow.

Fortunately, I have a Reviver Seed, but still, ow.

Cherithe: We have to get through. No matter what it takes. Please, let us pass!

Articuno: No! I cannot allow your passage!

Cherithe: Why? Why can’t we pass?

Articuno: The frigid forest’s air… It has warmed considerably in recent times.

It seems that being beaten up makes Articuno much more reasonable to talk to. Who knew?

Cherithe: W-warmed up? (I’m still freezing, but…)

Articuno: The flow of frigid air has been disturbed in the forest. Snow has started to melt.

Snow is melting. Snow that has never melted before.

Such as all of the snow on this plateau, apparently.

Articuno: This has never happened, even once.

Well, yes, that goes without re-saying.

Articuno: Then you appeared in the forest. Is this not your doing?!

I do wonder exactly how ve suspects we would have done it. Or how ve can be so certain that violence will solve the problem if we did.

Yes, I know, I said Moltres’ deductions sorta made sense, but here, we arrived only after this stuff was happening.

Cherithe: W-we don’t have anything to do with that! It’s a coincidence!

Cherithe: It isn’t our fault that the snow started melting here. It’s not just here. Natural calamities are taking place everywhere right now. The forest’s frigid airflow would have been disturbed even if we hadn’t come.

Articuno: Is that all? You expect me to believe that?!

Cherithe: Waaaaaaaah!

Articuno: Enough of your foolish talk! Prepare for your end!

Again, for the target demographic, someone is about to, with virtually no proof, murder a child. I mean, yes, I know, you take your job seriously, but come on, Articuno, that’s just cold. *ba-dum-TISH!*

…learned Teleport, apparently.

Absol: There is nothing false in what they said. Calamities are indeed occurring in nature everywhere.

Articuno: Is… Is that true?

Absol: Yes. I have the ability to sense natural disasters. The calamities taking place now are of a special nature. I’ve never experienced such before.

Articuno: …So, there are calamities besides this…

…Fine. I will choose to believe you.

While this is quite convenient, why does Absol get special treatment? I mean, Absol clearly travels, so is very likely an outsider, and Absol has no more proof than we do, so…

Articuno: You may pass.

Cherithe: Articuno!

Articuno: However!

Cherithe: Waah!

Articuno: You must try to prevent the calamities from spreading. I’m counting on you!

Speaking of flimsy deductions, how does Articuno come to the conclusion that some random duo, one of whom is a Poochyena, would be able to do anything about this, even if they were tough enough to get this far? I mean, I doubt ve’s addressing Absol, so…

Cherithe: Yup! We promise, Articuno!

Cherithe: Thank you. You saved us.

Absol: …Rather than saying thanks, focus on stopping the calamities before they worsen. If they are left unchecked, worse will befall us… My instinct warns me so.

Cherithe: Groan…

Absol: I sensed the terrible power of the natural calamities…

Rather hard to miss, really.

Absol: I was led here by my feelings of foreboding…

…I think it would be best if we combined forces… I will join you.

Cherithe: Huh? You will? Really?

Is it that surprising?

Absol: Really. To put an end to the calamities, cooperation is vital. Let me lend you my powers.

Cherithe: Sniffle… Thank you, Absol.

Arcus is a Pathfinder character created by Sylvanus, one of my tulpae. Arcus is a tengu summoner who is a follower of Damerrich, and for those who know what that means, it should speak a fair bit about the character. In any case, like this Absol, Arcus is rather grim, serious, and determined, but is, in the end, a kind-hearted sort, even if not very social.

The tulpa who made Cherithe (the Pathfinder character) is named Fluffy, by the way.

And so… After getting through the Frosty Forest, Joat’s team… Headed further north… The more they advanced… The harsher the conditions became…

Is the narrator winded?

Joat: (We’ve walked a long way here…)

If not for Alakazam’s Team, I would say it would be alright to stop here and rest a bit. I mean, not only is the journey rather treacherous for most, but even with an expert tracker, with all of the disasters muddling up the scents and/or tracks, it’d take a powerful psychic to figure out exactly where Team Zephyrai is…

Joat: (Cherithe looks exhausted, too… We’ve been running all this time out of desperation… What’s in store for us ahead?)

Honestly, credit where it is due. The game is actually doing a really good job of making me actually feel empathy for the protagonist in this scene (which is good, since he is intended to represent the player). The music gives a feeling of isolation, fear, discomfort, and uncertainty. It also feels cold, for lack of a better way to put it.

The snow has gotten thicker, there is no end in sight, we are exhausted, and the feel of this place is oppressive and isolated.

If we fell here, would anyone find us? Would anyone even know?

Joat: (Are we really doing the right thing?)

We shouldn’t be here. We don’t belong here.

Cherithe: Brr… This is too cold! There’s nothing but snow now.

I know if I were in this situation, I would love nothing more than to be able to go home again, by the comfort of a fire, within the safety of the town, even though I would know it would be impossible.

Cherithe: The scenery’s been the same for a while… I wonder if we’re really making progress…

I would certainly be glad to have my friends so close. Not just for warmth, but also just as a reminder that I’m not entirely alone, even if my companions are just as lost and helpless as I, in the end.

Cherithe: …Hey, Joat? I was thinking… I think we’ve come to a place that’s empty except for us… I have this feeling there’s nothing ahead of here, even if we keep moving… And I’m getting exhausted…

It would be both encouraging and terrifying that they have both placed their faith in me as leader. I would try my best, but in the end, the same mix of bravery and desperation that brought me there would be all I would have to hold on to. No way at all of knowing which way leads to victory an which way leads to death, yet I must be the one to choose…

Cherithe: …I’m sorry. I said something stupid to frighten you… There isn’t any point in wondering about what might happen. Not after coming this far. Even if we don’t know what’s ahead… We’ll only know by pressing on!

Honestly, I imagine I may feel some of that helplessness and isolation upon moving out, once I finally manage to get a job. It is hard to tell in advance, but I do imagine it would be similarly isolating and uncertain, even if also somewhat liberating. I imagine my beloved and what friends move in with us will look up to me for a fair bit, which will be a fairly scary prospect. I will no longer have anyone there to protect me and to guide me. Sylvanus tries, yes, but he can only do so much.

Cherithe: Don’t worry! There’s got to be something ahead. I have faith in you, Joat. That’s what brought me here. And that’s not changing. I still have faith in you, Joat…

Cherithe: I’ll keep going wherever you go!

Yet, simply knowing that he’s there will be a source of great comfort, as it will with the others. They will all be there with me, every step of the way.

Joat: (Yes… Cherithe trusts me without any doubt. I can’t afford to be indecisive. I have to believe in myself more.)

Oh good heavens, flashing red light and alarm sound and I look like I am in pain and WHAT IS GOING ON!?

Cherithe, Ninetales isn’t even a legendary. How was the existence of Ninetales ever in question?

Cherithe: And that Ninetales is up at the peak…

Cherithe: Sniffle… Joat! All the effort we put into getting here… It’s finally going to bear fruit! We’ll meet Ninetales and get the truth!

I believe this counts as tempting fate.

Again, I do really wish the game would give me more opportunities to make meaningful choices on how to play my character. I mean, I’m not asking for branching storylines. Even something as simple as the choice near the beginning of this document would be quite lovely.

Cherithe: Listen, Joat… Don’t be so worried. It will be all right. It’s only natural that you would be scared of meeting Ninetales, Joat. The heartless human who abandoned Gardevoir… It may be you… I can understand how you would think that.

This choice is a bit better, at least. Nothing storyline-altering – heck, I don’t think it even would alter Cherithe’s response – but again, I simply want something that offers enough choice to make it feel like I had the opportunity to role-play.

In this case, I feel the first question is a valid one. Yeah, sure, she can speculate, but can she really be so sure?

…Well, okay, maybe she can, but it’s still a better question than asking if she really believes in me so much, when that’s practically been every other sentence out of her mouth as of late.

Cherithe: Hmm…? Well, there was a time when I had some doubts… But now…

Cherithe: …I wonder why? I really don’t know why.

Cherithe: But it’s all right. Joat, you’re a really good sort.

You know, before… When I first got the idea to start a rescue team… I met you in the Tiny Woods, Joat. Now that I think about it, there was something different about you.

Like how I somehow failed to notice I was in a completely different body shape?

Cherithe: It is strange, isn’t it? But, Joat, I believe in you.

Cherithe: Anyway, we’ll know the truth when we get to the peak. Joat, let’s do our best!

Eh, sure, why not? Even if it’s the same one as last time, this is a tradition by now.

Cherithe: OK! Let’s go!

This training may be wise, indeed. Arcus is a bit behind, in level. I am Lv.24 and Cherithe is Lv.25.

I understand why a low-level Magikarp would do that, but what is your excuse, Azurill?

Growl is kinda nice, true, and it gives her something to do in a corridor when she cannot reach the front, but overall, she tends to get low on PP in lengthy dungeons, so giving her more attack moves may be helpful. Stat lowering is nice, perhaps, but not huge when each enemy tends not to last very long.

I am noticing a bit of a damage gap.

Swiiiiirl…

Cherithe: …I guess that path we took just loops back to where it started. It looks like we have to get over Mt. Freeze to move on. Joat, let’s do our best!

Cherithe: OK! Let’s go! Let’s do our best to reach the peak!

Oh? Well, that is interesting. I wonder what that does.

…Not only does that seem more useful when used on the party than when used by the party, but given how squishy I am, it may actually be worse than useless. Not to mention, it uses up a turn that Arcus could be using to attack, instead.

Speaking of Arcus, as far as HP goes, he’s a fair bit of a tank.

Hm… Swagger is a touch on the risky side, but given that there is only about a one-in-eight chance of being hit by an attack, it may be worth it in certain situations. Certainly less situational than Odor Sleuth, which I have yet to use, even in that fight where a Gengar was among the enemies. I just ended up one-shotting said Gengar with a bite instead.

THANK YOU!

Like, seriously, that is incredibly useful for if when a party member goes off on their own.

…Or at least, that’s what I thought when first writing this. Much later on in the LP, I learned this was actually more of a “Let’s split up, gang!”

Ha!

YES!

Yeah, that’s the spirit, Arcus! Bite that earthquake in the face!

We don’t have any Poison types, but pink is adorable and gum is pink and therefore I want this gummi.

Ooh, quite nice!

Well, that was certainly significant.

Uh… Good for you? We have no sleep moves, but congrats anyway, I guess.

Ow. I’m so glad I got relatively lucky there.

Ow. Again. I should really avoid being at the fore against a multi-hit foe when not at full health.

This seems to be quite the dungeon for multi-hit decimation, huh?

…Could it be?

I found Gravelrock 2.0!

I would hug it, but that would not be smart.

…And yes, I now realize it’s not Gravelrock 2.0. But I thought it was at time of first playing.

We’re low on supplies and I can safely guess what fight lies between us and Ninetales, so for once, not exploring the entire floor. I shall be skipping future floors, when possible, as well.

Ah yes, these things. A boon, perhaps, but also a portent of doom.

Just when I thought they may have omitted that status effect from this game…

Being frozen solid is apparently an enriching experience.

Later!

Cherithe: This is the summit. …Isn’t it?

Really? It looks a lot more like a cave, to me.

Cherithe: I wonder where Ninetales is?

: There they are! I’ve spotted Joat!

: All right! I see them!

I had a feeling…

Tyranitar: It’s about time. We finally caught up to you. Your fugitive act dragged us all the way out here…

You mean the “act” that the three of you helped to enable?

Charizard: Pipe down, Tyranitar. We can finally settle things here.

…Couldn’t we just point out that Ninetales is supposed to be around here and that if we go perhaps a few more feet or so and ask, they’d be a lot more certain whether or not they should go through with this?

Charizard: I can barely contain myself. I’m itching for a fight.

Cherithe. Don’t think badly of me. I don’t know how to show mercy.

…That seems like a very bad trait for a member of a rescue team to have.

Alakazam: Joat… I didn’t wish for this conclusion… But this, too, is fate. The role of a rescue team is to help bring peace. We will… crush you with every shred of our power! Get them!

And then, in a cutscene fight (which I did not see coming), the two teams begin clashing, seeming rather evenly-matched. An awesome moment, perhaps, but I imagine it may be somewhat of a blow to their ego, that they’re having so much trouble with a Copper Rank rescue team headed by a Poochyena.

Arceus has spoken!

Oh. Or a falling Ninetales.

Which, sadly, places the protagonist in a pose that Poochyena doesn’t have, which means I have to be Charmander for the rest of this cutscene to avoid crashing.

…Which, even more sadly, is a sizeable chunk.

This actually wouldn’t have been much of an issue on this site, but back in the original uploads everything was in screenshots, so about half of this LP part was as Charmander rather than Poochyena, which annoyed me so much that I grabbed PhotoShop and started editing Poochyena back in. One. Screenshot. At. A time.

Charizard: W-What?! Ninetales?!

Cherithe: Th-that’s Ninetales…

Tyranitar: The legend… It was real…

…

…Really?

It’s one thing for Cherithe to not realize. I mean, she’s still new and relatively inexperienced. But are these three hardened veterans really that surprised that Ninetales exists? The legend of the 1000-year curse is one thing, but not knowing that Ninetales exists? I know that fire stones are rare and thus probably so are Ninetales, but I’m pretty sure they’re not that rare! Not to mention, Ninetales has such a massive lifespan that it makes it all the more improbable that they’re so rare that their very existence is in question.

Ninetales: Cease fighting at once, Alakazam. They are… my guests.

Alakazam: Tell us, Ninetales! Who was the human that appeared in your legend? No, even before that, was the legend itself a true event? Depending on your reply… I may hae no choice but to eliminate them!

Ninetales: Whether they consider my curse to be a legend or not… I care not.

…But isn’t part of the point of the curse to be a deterrent from others doing the same? Wouldn’t you want that to be considered true?

Ninetales: However… It did happen. many years ago, I tried to lay a curse on a human. It was then, however, that Gardevoir, the human’s partner, dashed in… It selflessly bore the full brunt of the curse meant for the human. Then, the human did a selfish and cowardly thing. They abandoned Gardevoir and fled. The human eventually became a Pokémon. Transformed into a Pokémon, the human… The human lives on.

Alakazam: And that human would be? Who is the human that you speak of?

Eep…

Ninetales: You may relax. It is not you.

…Ninetales is a massive troll.

Cherithe: …Just now… …What did you say?

Ninetales: Joat is not the human that appears in the legend. That is what I said.

Alakazam: …Wh-what…

You told us to run and find the truth earlier, and now you’re completely flabbergasted at the prospect that I am not the one responsible. Can you make up your mind, please?

Cherithe: …What’s happening to me…? I’m too tensed up to move…

Cherithe: …Oof…

…Cherithe, are you alright?

…’Kay, then…

Cherithe: …Whew…

Cherithe: Oh, wow, fantastic!

It doesn’t translate very well to static screenshots, which is all I had to work with in the initial LP, but Cherithe proceeds to circle around Joat in celebration and I want my own little Cherithe because this is absolutely adorable.

Cherithe: That’s great! I knew that Joat wasn’t involved! I knew it! There’s no way that Joat would do those terrible things!

Ninetales:I have another thing to say. It is true that I foretold of the world’s balance becoming unstable… However, that human becoming a Pokémon and the world’s balance are not linked in any way.

Well, if I am the one who is linked to the end of the world and I am not that human, I suppose that makes sense.

Ninetales:The cause of the natural calamities… it exists elsewhere.

Cherithe: You were wrong to hound and harass Joat!

And also to attempt to murder.

Alakazam: …Uh…er… We…uh…apologize.

Tyranitar: …We’re sorry. We got worked up by that Gengar.

Charizard: No. I suspected Gengar right from the start. Joat just doesn’t look like the treacherous type! Hahahahaha…

I know you’re trying to save face, Charizard, but, given what you said at the beginning of the fight, you’re trying to do so by essentially claiming that you take delight in attempting to murder someone you are reasonably certain is innocent. I don’t know about you, but I would rather look like a dupe than like a murderous psychopath.

Cherithe: If only that were true…

Alakazam: But I must say… You are to be commended for prevailing through this cruel journey and discovering the truth. Impressive, Joat.

And also Cherithe and Arcus, but I guess they don’t count as much since I’m the protagonist here. Heck, Arcus spends most of his time in this scene hidden by the speech boxes. I mean, I know he was a last-minute entrant, but still…

Cherithe: Hahaha! Excellent! I knew I was right!

Cherithe: …Huh? Oh, but wait… Then why did Joat turn into a Pokémon? I understand that Joat isn’t the human from that legend… Then, how do you explain Joat becoming a Pokémon? Joat… Who are you?

…I do not know the answer to that any more than I did five minutes ago, Cherithe.

Charizard: …Qu…quake?!

Sudden plot-convenient earthquake of explanation interruption!

Ninetales:The world’s crust is shifting.

That is generally what causes earthquakes, yes.

Ninetales:The natural calamities are worsening. And… The shifting of the ground… It will awaken the beast that embodies the ground… The beast that slept deep underground… Groudon will be awakened!

Cherithe: What is that? What’s a Groudon?

Alakazam: A legendary Pokémon that has been spoken of only in myths. It is the Pokémon that raised the land masses and created continents… It is said to have taken to sleep after catastrophic battles with its archnemesis Kyogre.

Ninetales: If Groudon were to get loose, there would be chaos.

Not a morning person, hm?

Ninetales: It must be stopped!

Alakazam: We will go.

Cherithe: We’ll go too!

Alakazam: No. You must remain behind. Groudon is far more powerful than any Pokémon you have faced. Leave it to us.

Alakazam, you and your team had trouble facing us a moment ago. If we’re too weak to take it on, that does not bode well for your odds.

Charizard: That’s how it goes. You go back to your rescue team base for a well-earned rest.

That said, it’s hard to argue with that, and it actually does feel like a satisfying conclusion, even if the trip home would logically not be very pleasant, either. I suppose it is a good sign of how the game lead me to emphasize with the protagonist, that I feel genuinely relieved at being able to go home, rather than being disappointed at missing an epic battle.

That said, though, shouldn’t we at least first wait close enough that we can finish this conversation with Ninetales after the fight is over? Or, for that matter, continue it now, if Ninetales is planning to stay behind too? I mean, this is kind of important, and is also relevant to fulfilling the promise we’ve made to two legendary elemental birds who I do not particularly wish to tick off…

Tyranitar: We’ll get the job done, and we’ll be back before you know it.

Alakazam: Fine. We’re off to quell Groudon!

And thus… Alakazam’s team made their way underground to quell the awakened Groudon. Meanwhile, cleared of all suspicion, Joat’s team… Put an end to their long and arduous journey… And returned to their welcoming rescue team base.

Meanwhile, back in Pokémon Square…

Gengar: Why aren’t you out there hunting down Joat’s team?

You realize that three of those you are speaking to are simply random townsfolk, right?

Lombre: That’s easy for you to say… It’s too much for us…

Snubbull: They say Joat’s team has gone way far out there. If we went, the best we could hope for is maybe the Lapis Cave.

Shiftry: I joined the chase… But they fled into Mt. Blaze. For the life of me, I can’t go in there. And that’s where I lost their trail. I’m a Grass type, see. Fire doesn’t agree with me at all. I don’t know what became of Joat’s team after that. …But those fugitives… To think they would risk Mt. Blaze… They’ve grown up tough! I can’t keep up!

Shiftry: Hahaha!

He seems to be taking it well.

Gengar: Kekeh! What a spineless lot you are! Tch!

As stated by someone who is literally spineless.

Lombre: You’re so full of big talk! What about your team, Gengar? You just hang around in the square and don’t do a thing. Walk the talk. You guys go.

Gengar: We’re out of that picture. Kekeh! Our role is to receive word about Joat’s demise. Kekekekekeh!

Lombre: Tch! Just appointed yourself that…

: Oh, my gosh! Oh, my goodness!

Medicham: Joat… Joat is…

Gengar: Oh! Finally! We’re finally rid of Joat! Kekeh!

Gengar has absolutely no sense of body language.

Medicham: No! It’s the opposite!

Wait, does that mean I’m finally rid of Team Meanies, then?

Medicham: Joat is back!

Gengar: Kekeh?! What did you say?!

Shiftry: H-hey! Over there…

Caterpie: …Joat!

Snubbull: Th-they’re back…

Cherithe: Hi, everyone! We’re back!

Cherithe, you should probably get to the part where we’re innocent before we walk into this big group of potential Zephyrai hunters.

Cherithe: Whew! We finally made it back. We’ve been gone for so long… It feels kind of nostalgic to be back in the square, Joat.

Gengar: Hey, Cherithe!

Cherithe: Hm! Oh, it’s you, Gengar. It’s been a while.

…Did she seriously only just now notice him?

Gengar: (Kekeh! What’s with that smug confidence?)

I’d call that more “homicidal rage,” myself, but that’s just me.

Gengar: (Kekeh! Maybe…)

Cherithe: Gengar! Everything you said was completely wrong! Joat had nothing to do with it! Joat was innocent!

Gengar: Ugege?!

I cannot think of a way to say that in a way that sounds surprised rather than drugged, and the facial expression does not help matters.

Lombre: Wh-what?!

Shiftry: Is that true?!

Cherithe: Yup. We met Ninetales and asked. Joat isn’t the human from the legend.

I see that she is opting not to point out the fact that Ninetales said that the human who grabbed the Ninetales’ tail is not linked to the end of the world, while Xatu stated that my being a human is linked to the end of the world.

Cherithe: We’re back because we discovered the truth.

Gengar: Ugegegegegegegeh!

Gengar: Kekeh! W-wait a second! You can’t be trusted yet. If you’re going to make that claim, let’s see some proof.

Cherithe: P-proof?

…Oh, right. Yeah, that could be important. We really should have… wait a sec…

Gengar: That’s right. Some hard evidence! Kekeh! Let’s see some proof! Come on, out with it!

Cherithe: Proof… We don’t have any proof…

If only we had a witness with us… Hey Arcus, do you know where we could find a witness?

Gengar: Kekekekekekeh! It’s too bad you don’t have proof! You came back for us so we could get rid of yu easier! How conveniently foolish! Kekekeh!

Gengar: …Kekeh?! What’s wrong, everyone? Don’t you want to be rid of Joat?

Caterpie: I… I always believed in Joat! You don’t fool me!

Gengar: Ugeh!

Should Gengar really be surprised at that one? Or even disappointed, for that matter? I still have no idea why Gengar is under the impression that Caterpie is some sort of powerhouse.

Shiftry: …I… I’m out. I was saved by Joat’s team before. I joined the chase with a heavy heart because of your urging… But I simply can’t think of Joat being bad in any way.

Then why did you let yourself join in to begin with?

Gengar: Ugegegeh!

Lombre: I’ve heard enough too! I believe Joat!

Snubbull: Yeah, that’s right! Who needs proof?

Gengar: Ugegegegegege!

Cherithe: E-everyone…

Pelipper dropping stuff, as ve does best.

Ekans: What? What is this?

Were you not listening at all, Ekans?

Medicham: …

“Free snacks? For moi?”

Medicham: … It looks like a newspaper… Doesn’t it?

They look more like rather boring flyers to me, really.

Lombre: OK, I’ll read it aloud. Let’s see…

"<Pokémon News>
"= EXTRA =

“Did you know you can open your menu by pressing the B button?”

Lombre: "Joat Innocent!

"Joat met with Ninetales under the watchful eye of Alakazam… And proved that it had nothing to do with the human in the legend. As a result, Gengar’s claims were found to be malicious lies.

“-End’”

Well, technically, the only falsehood in his story was the conclusion, with Joat being the human in the tale. Even then, although they told the story for all the wrong reasons, can anyone really be certain that it was a deliberate falsehood? Heck, even Team Zephyrai cannot be certain of that. For all they know, Gengar genuinely thought that Joat really was that human and decided to exploit that fact. Either way, all Gengar would need to do to recover from this is to claim that he was genuinely mistaken, perhaps even coupling that with a “heartfelt” apology toward Joat.

Gengar: Ugegegegegegegegegegegeh!

…Or he could do that. Not a very rock-solid defense, I must admit, but perhaps he’s hoping that spouting something so laughably silly will help defuse the tension.

I must say, “hardy” is right. Not even after that heavy ordeal does the team get a day off. Well, except for that one day when Cherithe was not feeling it. And that one day when apparently learning about Alakazam’s expertise at barking orders made the duo forget that their job is a thing that exists.

Part 23: Wherein Joat needs to find a power coin, because IT’S MORPHEUS TIME!

The next morning…

Ah, I missed this adorable image…

Any night sleeping on something other than snow-covered rock is a night well-slept, I say!

Cherithe: All right! We’ll get right back into doing rescues.

Cherithe: And look, Pelipper is bringing us mail already.

Well, yes. I am not surprised Pelipper knows we are back. I imagine news tends to travel fast in a small town, especially news about the truth behind the suspected cause of numerous natural disasters and an upcoming apocalypse.

Also, Pelipper outright saw us yesterday. That helps, too.

Cherithe: Let’s try to do our best like we did always, Joat!

With his bill outstretched? I could understand bill agape or wing outstretched, but… Actually, no, neither of those makes much sense either, but both would certainly make more sense than this.

Shiftry: …So, what became of Alakazam’s team? Did they head underground?

Groudon… the mythical Pokémon… It is rather worrying… but I suppose it is Alakazam’s team. They should be fine.

♫Tempting faaaate…♪

Heck, even if not for that, they are a team of super-competent and powerful experts who aren’t the protagonist, sent in to fight an enemy off-screen that seems far too powerful for anyone else to take on. I think I know where this one is headed.

Snubbull: Aww, No… I thought you were completely guilty. I’m sorry you had to go through such a miserable time.

I suppose this explains why my stuff was all available through the inexplicable magic statue thingies. Though, I would still have expected the government to have confiscated it. Then again, the government seems to have only rescue teams instead of any actual law enforcement, so… Does this setting even have government?

When I think on it, probably not. This seems to be a society with very little in the way of bureaucracy or formal laws. That does explain why chasing both Team Zephyrai and Team Meanies away were done in a rather frontier-justice manner. Similarly, the fact that there is such high respect for those who are seen as knowledgeable and wise, such as Alakazam and Whiscash, which actually reminds me a fair bit of certain tribal societies.

Caterpie: I’m so glad Joat isn’t under suspicion anymore.

Metapod: I just knew Joat couldn’t be evil.

To be fair, though, the jury is still out on the morality of the person who actually grabbed one of the tails. I could, in theory, see a good-natured but unintelligent kid being peer-pressured to grab a tail to prove ve’s not a scaredy-Meowth and, after Ninetales attempted to curse ver, being too panicked to be able to think about anything other than saving verself. Even good people can have a moment of weakness like that, after all, and Gardevoir cared deeply about this human, so perhaps said human had some likeable qualities about ver.

Metapod: I hope you keep doing good with your rescue work!

Metapod: I regret this… How some old folklore I told… could cause such an uproar…

I got carried away and recounted that tale… I should’ve left well enough alone…

You mean the tale we explicitly requested that you tell?

Okay, realistically, Whiscash is probably referring to the first recounting, before that. Still, though, Whiscash is not Psychic-type…

For that matter, despite all the hardships along the way, things actually ended quite well. We came out of it with some useful new information, a way to discredit Team Meanies, and a tidy chunk of PoKé. Not to mention, because of where they ended up, Alakazam’s team was able to readily notice and react to Groudon’s impending arrival. If not for that, Alakazam’s team may well have noticed the problem too late to react in time to fix things.

Kecleon: I’m so sorry. I was fully convinced of your guilt, Joat. But I am glad to hear you are free of suspicion~♪

I’ll never give you my business again!

…Um?

Kecleon: I hope you won’t say that.

That’s a very unnatural way to put things, for the sake of psyching out the player.

Kecleon: I am so sorry! I was convinced that Joat had to be the one.

Sorry, but I’m already taken.

Kecleon: I am ashamed that I treated a valuable customer with such disdain and suspicion…

Actually, I don’t think I bought one thing from him. I mostly just bought rocks and reviver seeds from his brother.

Kecleon: It isn’t just you, my brother. I am guilty of the same.

Er, yes, he was within earshot when you said that.

Kecleon: B-Brother… Sniffle… My brother…

Tell me, what are we fighting for? Weeee’ve got to end this war!

Kecleon: We both promise, we will not repeat the same mistake. I will do my best to obtain even better Technical Machines and Orbs. I hope for your continued patronage!

Or started patronage, rather.

Okay, to be fair, I think I did sell some stuff to him.

Diglett: Yes Papa.

Papa? Papa, can you swim?

Dugtrio: …Of course. What do you take us for?

“Us”? Singular before, plural now… I’m confused.

Diglett: Oh! So you can swim! Papa, you’re so special!

To be fair, by the logic of the anime, where a Sandshrew needed special training to withstand a pool, that is fair to say.

Worry not, my beloved! Honey’s back again!

…No, not the Weedle, I’m talking about me.

And now, new courses!

Going with Psychic first. This should be relatively easy, considering, well, Dark-type.

…Well, that nullifies part of the advantage. Wobbuffet does not ever directly attack, instead being built around countering damage.

Reddybear might need a bit of power-leveling…

This Pokémon is not kind to glass cannons. Such as, say, two thirds of the party.

This game actually does somewhat change the dynamic with Wobbuffet. In the original, there was no way for Wobbuffet to go on the offensive. Its moves are all counters. Here, however, it has the basic attack all others do. Which makes sense, from a design standpoint, since otherwise, unless it is blocking the only way forward, Wobbuffet can safely be simply ignored.

Anyway, Wobbuffet may have all its counters, but I have the ultimate weapon!

Iron Thorn… You have failed me…

Whew! That was a close one. You almost got healed, there!

Iron Thorn, you traitor!

This is one major issue with this maze. Dealing with the Wobbuffets is mostly about dealing enough damage to knock the enemy out or dealing little enough damage to allow for easy healing. It is a strategic thing, which is not exactly something the AI is programmed to handle.

I forgot to get a screenshot, but the enemies took a chunk of my inventory. I can understand in the game proper, but here?

Then why did they mug me, good sir?

You mean the training we were just doing?

To be fair, yes, I do know more, going in this time. The main thing I learned from this is that I really need to bring more Reviver Seeds.

Anyway, time once more!

Not staying around and exploring all of each floor, this time. I would outright skip this dungeon, but I want that completion reward, so finishing this up.

Well, that’s convenient.

Ooooof course…

Indeed. Now, let’s never do that particular course never again. Let’s do something a bit more normal.

*ba-dum-TISH!*

But first, a bit of shopping.

Well, this is new. I don’t have much money, but the apples are pretty valuable. I only have one normal apple in my current apple stock. Truth told, the belly size increase probably isn’t worth the cost increase from big apples (for those who don’t know, that increase only lasts until the dungeon’s conclusion), but I don’t see any big apples in stock, so going with these.

In any case, onward!

Oh hey, it looks like this dungeon has Raticates!

…Exclusively.

I mean, seriously? I know the training dungeons aren’t supposed to be major things, so I understand a lack of effort to some degree, but how hard can it really be to add a couple more entries to the array of possible encounters for this dungeon?

I think this dungeon may be a tad easier than the previous one.

Ah, right, I forgot to disable Lick. That said, this demonstrates that, unlike in the main series, Ghost-type moves can damage Normal-type Pokémon and vice versa. It’s just very reduced in damage.

Wow, it took Reddybear more than one swipe to knock an enemy out. He really is out of practice!

Ow.

To be fair, I saw this coming and was actually kinda wondering why it did not happen before now, but still, ow.

Being ganged up on, better call in the tank!

Oh hey, none of those are Raticate! This ought to be interesting!

Oh…

The sad thing is, though Reddybear was technically the least vital party member, being the only one who could fall without mission failure, he was also the one most in need of the experience from that fight.

In any case, here is the jobs list! This time, I actually have a Gold Gummi with me. Just one, though. Let’s hope we have better luck finding another, this time.

And so, off we go!

Oh… Right… Reddybear got sent back to the friend area and I forgot to go retrieve him.

…Screw it, reloading from a save state. This does mean having to go back to before that boss fight, but by doing the exact same actions, I was able to get the exact same results (so, it seems that the game’s combat random number generation is not time-based), so no harm done.

Though, for whatever reason, I got a different shop lineup this time. The X-Ray specs are interesting, but I shan’t go out of my way to get them. I mean, I plan to explore all of each floor anyway. I will, however, be grabbing those Gravelrocks and Reviver Seeds! I am short on cash, so I shall go ahead and sell two Roar TMs (I have four), a Thief TM (I have two), and my spare Link Box (having a second one is literally useless) to get the PoKé needed.

…Which is more than I can say for Spearow’s odds. Especially since the end goal for Spearow is 8F. Also, you cannot give escorts hold items, change their tactics, or… pretty much anything, really. At the very least, though, Cherithe and Reddybear being set to Go After Foes should make enemies getting to Spearow significantly less likely.

Also, Cherithe and I are hilariously over-leveled for this dungeon, so there’s that.

Well, looks like someone’s been eating their vitamins! That actually slightly stung a bit!

…Yeah, I know, this fight is not even remotely fair, but considering how I usually fare when taking a hit, I’d like to have this one. Just this once, please.

I think “disintegrated” is the word you are looking for, mister game.

Woo! Go Reddybear!

…I would speak about how I should have thought to take the Max Elixir off Reddybear so that did not happen, but honestly, Cherithe has a hard time conserving PP, so that may have been for the best.

White Gummies are a nice thing to find!

Ah, a nice little nap and a lovely massage…

I have a bad feeling about this. This is the drop-off floor, but nothing bad has happened to Spearow yet. Things are going too well and it cannot last.

…Um, Spearow is just a bit behind me, mister game.

I think I anti-tempted fate, back there.

…Aaaand Cherithe is now back to leaving me in the dust when it comes to leveling.

Sadly, no further Gold Gummies have been found yet. There is still time before the end of the dungeon, but it is quickly running out.

Well, interesting. I have no particular feelings about Slakoth, but sure, why not?

Given how much he sleeps, I feel it is rather appropriate to name him after the Greek god of dreams.

He is level 8, yet has 6HP more than the level 17 Reddybear. To be fair, though, he also has to rest after every attack or orb usage, so he could use all the help he can get, I suppose.

C…Could it be?

Aw…

I mean, it is very useful for boosting Cherithe’s IQ, but still, aw…

When this happens, first priority is to move forward to allow other party members to enter.

And one Hypnosis later, Cherithe joins in on the nap time.

Looking at this, I cannot help but think of how adorable a picture of Joat, Cherithe, and Reddybear sleeping together would be.

I can see a very clear entrance through which we could go any farther.

Oh well. Victory!

…Except for the matter of the other Pokémon who desired a Gold Gummi. That is still a thing.

This move, in this game, reduces all incoming special damage by half for a fair number of turns. This seems like it is very useful for boss fights, but not as much for normal dungeon travel, where it is often more practical to just try to rapidly defeat the threat with a damaging move or two. Nonetheless, this does at least seem like a good move to bring to a boss fight… is what I would be saying if Poochyena could learn Light Screen. Cherithe could, but expecting her to use the move wisely is a fool’s hope, given the AI in this game.

Well, this is interesting. I tend not to pay attention to rewards when I pick up jobs, so this was quite the pleasant surprise.

*headdesk*

…In any case, the other rewards were a Yellow Gummi, 60 rescue points, and a Cheri Berry. 40 of those points were from the escort mission. Escort missions are very difficult missions that can easily go horribly wrong, but at least the game gives a reward to match.

And so, tomorrow, onward to more rescue missions! Not story missions, though. Even if story missions are available, Reddybear has some serious catching up to do, first.

Gardevoir: My Trainer did some terrible things, but somehow, I can’t bring myself to feel hatred…

Gardevoir: My Trainer had some quirks, but there were good qualities too.

It sounds like more than “quirks,” to me, personally. Especially given what one of those “quirks” resulted in.

Gardevoir: And when it happened, I was desperate…

Joat: When it happened…? You mean Ninetales’s curse?

Gardevoir: Yes. I protected my Trainer from Ninetales’s curse with my entire being. If the Trainer is facing danger… It is our duty to protect the Trainer with our lives… We Gardevoir are that way.

I kept my Trainer safe… That alone was enough to make me happy.

Joat: (…Protect the Trainer even at the risk of your own life… It’s amazing what Gardevoir did…)

Gardevoir: Oh, I must mention, I don’t mind the form I have taken. I live on this way with pride in the role I have been given.

Joat: …Role?

Gardevoir: Yes. All things have a role. They all serve a purpose.

…Lass, has it really escaped you that such was a request to elaborate on what your role is?

Gardevoir: Just as I have my own role to play… You, too, have a role to fill…

You have… come here to perform a certain role… And for that role… you became a Pokémon.

Joat: What…? What are you saying?

And then, the screen begins to shake.

Joat: Wah! E-earthquake?!

Nature itself does not want me to figure things out the easy way, apparently.

The next morning…

Joat: I think I had that dream again… I think I spoke with Gardevoir… She said something important…

That’s it! She did say something!

Gardevoir: You have… come here to perform a certain role… And for that role… you became a Pokémon.

Joat: Gardevoir knows! She knows why I became a Pokémon.

Joat: She also said something about a role… What did she mean by that…?

The protagonist role, clearly.

Cherithe: …Huh? What’s the matter? Is something wrong?

Cherithe: Oh, I get it! That earthquake earlier!

Why is that conspicuous line break there?

Cherithe: Alakazam’s team hasn’t come back yet…

They say that Groudon is powerful. That has me a little worried. But Alakazam’s team is tough too. They should be fine.

Anyway, we agreed to let Alakazam deal with Groudon. We don’t have any choice. We have to wait for them to come back.

Was the entrance locked behind them, or something?

Cherithe: We have to do what we can for our part. So let’s do our best with the rescue team!

: Uh… Um…

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

I am not your commanding officer, good sir.

Wynaut: We have a notice on the Bulletin Board outside the Pelipper Post Office.

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Wynaut: Please look at it for me. Please, please.

If you want us, specifically, to tackle it, why not just mail it to us?

…Oh, right.

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!!!

Ve is a Pokémon, so this should be justified in theory, but I am able to tell what everyone else in this world is saying just fine, so apparently, this particular Pokémon actually just goes around saying vis name over and over again.

That said, I have read that the original name in Japanese translated to “that’s the way it is,” and I have read speculation that this might have been a translation error, especially since there is a Wobbuffet that instead repeats “That’s right!” in a later installment. However, I do not believe that, because neither “That’s right!!!” nor “That’s the way it is!!!” is a proper follow-up to “Please look at it for me. Please, please.”

Wynaut: Please help me. I have to go now.

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Wobbuffet to you, too, good sir.

Cherithe: What was that? What was that all about?

They just told us.

Well, okay, Wynaut told us.

Cherithe: That little Pokémon… Did the boy say he was Wynaut?

*sigh*

Cherithe: I think he wanted us to look at the Bulletin Board at the Pelipper Post Office.

Cherithe, ace detective!

Cherithe: Maybe Wynaut and his friends have a problem on their hands…

Wynaut doesn’t have hands. Depending on how you define “hands”, neither does Wobbuffet.

Cherithe: So, they may have a help-wanted notice on the Bulletin Board.

I’m not sure… I haven’t seen them around the square. I don’t think Alakazam’s team has come back.

Given everyone’s reaction when he and his team first appeared, I’m not sure that him being present in the square is very common to begin with.

Snubbull: That earthquake here was wicked… If it can happen here, will more serious disasters come to the square?

Lombre: That quake was something else! It caught me by surprise. I almost drowned in the pond!

Remember kids: Always sleep with a lifeguard present!

Bellsprout: Oh, wasn’t it shocking?! That earthquake was terrible!

Caterpie: That earthquake really frightened me… I was so scared, I spat silk all over the place… It was a mess for everyone…

I had a joke lined up about how it doesn’t make sense for it to be so easy to spray silk that it can happen involuntarily because Caterpie could theoretically forget String Shot, but as it turns out, in this generation, the only way Caterpie could learn more moves without evolving is via hacking. You win this round, game.

Metapod: I hardened when the quake hit… I couldn’t take a step…

I’m still surprised you can take steps at all.

Metapod: I was just shaking inside my shell…

Waaah! Thinking about it is scary!

Whiscash: Wroooar! I can’t relax! My whiskers… They tell me of coming earthquakes. And many quakes are indeed coming.

Heck, I could’ve told you that, simply by virtue of pattern recognition.

In any case, time to go look at that mission!

Those question marks bode ill…

I know I said before that I would not take story missions yet, but this is a C-rank mission. To give perspective, missions taking place in the more recent dungeons (such as, say, Lapis Cave) are at difficulty rank B. So, overall, I think this mission should be relatively safe, a breather after all the hectic battling to find the truth.

Saying that they’re “going wild” does not help the whole unfortunate-mission-name thing.

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Wynaut: We don’t know why they rampage around… But they are always angry and attack anyone they see!

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Thank you for contributing.

Cherithe: Oh no… That is a problem.

Cherithe: Joat, we should go.

Wynaut: Thank you! We’re counting on you!

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

The place where the Mankey Gang is wreaking havoc on others… The Uproar Forest is now open for exploration!

That is to say, near me.

Anyway, time for some shopping!

Hm… Tempting, but no. A Pecha Scarf or Power Band appeal more to me. I will, however, spring for those shiny thorns!

I imagine I may regret this choice, given all the burns, but nonetheless, I shan’t shy away from it. Best to get Reddybear a fair bit of training, in preparation for the plot!

…Lovely.

That said, I have, in fact, learned from the last time I fought them. Their ability that burns whoever attacks them seems to only trigger upon contact moves. So, using throwing weapons against them instead should significantly reduce the odds of a burn occurring.

…Reddybear has 43 HP.

To be fair, this training dungeon has had a decent variety of foes. All three of these (even if only these three) have appeared before now.

Doing some between-dungeon shopping. I will definitely want to go and get some money to spend on at least one of these Heal Seeds. Inventory space is a valuable thing, and it can be difficult, therefore, to be prepared for anything.

Remember back before I inadvertently went back in time (or after, or in-between, or… my head hurts, why is time travel so confusing?), when I decided Return sounded like a great idea? Weeeell… turns out I may have been slightly mistaken. The thing is, Return scales by IQ. A neat mechanic, but the problem is, it scales very slowly and caps fairly low.

IQ has a max value of 990. At 700 IQ, it reaches its cap of 45. To put that in perspective, the archetypical “throw-away first move” of a Pokémon, Tackle, has a power of 35 (this game was released before Tackle was boosted to 50). So, this is, in fact, better than Tackle. However, Bite has a power of 60 (and that’s not even getting into the 50% power boost provided by Same Type Attack Bonus), which blows a full-power Return out of the water. I have Self-Curer, but not Quick Dodger, so my IQ value is somewhere in the 70-99 range, meaning that, right now, Return would have a whopping 10 power. Wee…

I just recently got done nearly freezing to death, so this ought be pleasant…

This is bittersweet. I really do need the levels. I mean, I am the leader and get most of the incoming blows, which I am really not very well-equipped to take. At the same time, though, Reddybear needs to hurry up and level up, dagnabbit!

I hit triple-digits, woo!

In any case, one trip for more throwables later, it is time to head off to the plot!

…In the next part, that is.

When I was originally posting this on DeviantArt and the like, this part and the next part were all in part 24. However, I’ve decided that this time around, I should break parts that were originally huge into more manageable chunks.

I do admit, slightly disappointing. This is a palette swap of Sinister Woods. That said, though, I cannot blame them too much, especially since it is still enough to visually distinguish it from Sinister Woods.

Right you are!

I looked it up, and this reduces damage of all non-Normal-type moves by 25%. That still makes Bite the strongest in my arsenal, but still, this does change things up a bit (in Reddybear’s favor, at that).

Woo!

Thankfully, I have Nontraitor, so this is not as bad. That said, I wonder…

Woo! Take that, status effect!

…That said, Cherithe does not have Nontraitor. I should probably set her to Keep Your Distance, now, because I do not think either of us can withstand an attack from her, especially Reddybear.

This happened again on the same floor, so yeah, definitely need to consider using moves more often on Venonat.

Meanwhile, this weather boosts fire moves and reduces water moves.

A useful addition!

This forest is throwing a lot of Blast Seeds at me. I thought, at first, that it was because they would be super-effective against Grass-type Pokémon, but such is unfortunately not the case. That doesn’t make much sense, given that it causes me to breathe fire, but then again, I can hit ghosts with rocks, so I guess I can’t complain too much.

This dungeon is being rather generous with its items, causing me to eat a lot of food when not needed just to clear room for more food. I suspect my belly will be cartoonishly bloated and dragging along the ground by the end of this endeavor.

Ah, quite nice!

…No, I am not naming it Locke.

Named for the Pied Piper of Hamelin, because his evolution can play the leaf on his head like a wind instrument.

Fortunately, Piper is significantly more sturdy than Reddybear, despite being two levels lower.

Oy! I’m just trying to share the love! Don’t you want some brain food? Gummis are perfect brain food!

Gaaaah! Stop being fussy and open up for the choo-choo, 'Chu!

YES!

Ah, much better! I knew my beloved would be much more accepting of a gift from his beloved!

Well, that could easily have been painful. Fortunately, one bite is enough to finish this opponent off.

…Okay, I am officially curious. Even though I suspect it may be some sort of trap, I simply must know what that is.

Oh. Well, okay, then.

Something tells me I should bring this along. I have not seen a favorite food for any other Pokémon, Gummies aside, so I suspect this may be helpful on my quest.

Well, that was underwhelming.

Also, found another Chestnut.

Mankey: We don’t like to brag or nothing, but…

Mankey: We get furious real easy, you know that?!

You mean the state of mind in which people tend to make really silly mistakes?

Mankey: What really irritates us is when we see some dim-witted face…

Mankey: …Wroooooooar! That vacant expression…

Official artwork by Ken Sugimori.

Sorry, Reddybear, but I think they may be talking about you.

Mankey: Gwooooh! It’s ticking me off! I’m seeing red!

…dybear.

Mankey: Mukkkeeeeeh! Get 'em! It’s frenzy time!

Given how your peers performed, I do not feel intimidated.

This is against my better judgment (and, for that matter, against what we came here to do), but I am too curious, especially since wacky hijinks music is playing.

…Oooof course.

Nonetheless, that answers that question. No, the Chestnut does not seem to contribute anything to this fight.

That does, though!

Oy…

Cherithe: That should teach them not to be so wild.

Wynaut: Everyone, thank you for everything, really.

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Wynaut: Yes, we’re filled with gratitude! This is our thanks.

Joat’s team received a peeled Chestnut as their reward.

Cherithe: …This… A peeled Chestnut?

Wynaut: Yes. It’s a peeled Chestnut. You see, we… don’t have any money.

Neither does Caterpie’s family, it seems, but they were able to give multiple rewards. Mind, nuts are a lovely thing (stop snickering), but just one?

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Wynaut: So, we can only give you a Chestnut as our reward. Are you unhappy?

Cherithe: I think they’re great! Hahahaha! (A little money would have been nice…)

We got 862 PoKé from that venture, Cherithe.

: Hey, you!

Are they speaking to Cherithe? “Hey you, Pikachu!”

You mean the ones who did not manage to lay a paw on us during that whole fight?

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet?

Cherithe: That Mankey gang… Did they chase us here to get us back?

Mankey: That’s right, you! You got lucky! Don’t mess with us!

Mankey: We’re not gonna lose this time! We’ll pulverize you!

…I wouldn’t count on that.

Mankey: Mukkeeeeh! Crush them!

Normally, when the game requires a pose Poochyena does not have, I just seamlessly transition to the footage of him as a Charmander (for those who are just tuning in, the game crashes if it tries to call a pose Poochyena has, but I can change which Pokémon the protagonist is between scenes via cheats to avoid this), but I simply must show you this crash. I mean, it’s just… wow. Those shadows are wilder than any Mankey could ever hope to be.

“We scared him so much, he changed into a different Pokémon entirely!”

Mankey: Ch-Chestnut!

Mankey: It is! It’s a peeled Chestnut!

Cherithe: Wh-what?

Mankey: Mutter, mutter…

Cherithe: What are they doing?

Whispering and muttering, clearly.

Wynaut: They look like… They’re having a discussion.

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Cherithe: What’s going on?

Mankey: That peeled Chestnut you have… Can we have it?

Mankey: We, uh… Love peeled Chestnuts.

Mankey: Like, we love them so much, we can’t think of a life without Chestnuts!

Cherithe: Can’t you just get Chestnuts by yourselves?

Mankey: You know how Chestnuts have that spiky shell? Trying to peel that spiky shell… It hurts. And we end up losing our tempers!

Apparently, you can think of a life without chestnuts, since that’s clearly been your life up to now, in that case.

Mankey: We might change our minds if you get us more peeled Chestnuts.

You didn’t do all of what you said you would last time. How can we trust you to finish if we give you another?

Cherithe: …What is this all about?

Cherithe, they literally just told you.

Mankey: We just can’t be bothered. We need peeled Chestnuts to motivate us.

Cherithe: We have a problem, Joat. I don’t think the Mankey gang will work unless we get them another peeled Chestnut. I guess we’ll have to give the Mankey gang any peeled Chestnuts that we find.

Like the two I currently have in my inventory?

Ironically, the house being under construction actually makes it more suitable for sleeping in, due to the back windows being covered.

Before we deliver the chestnuts, let us see what everyone has to say!

…Riveting. No pun intended.

- Open the Mailbox at the front -

Cute, but why would anyone place such a “warning” on the mailbox? Isn’t it obvious, in-universe? Out-of-universe, mind, I can see why it would not be as obvious, since many games allow, say, opening a treasure chest from any angle, but still…

Mankey: Oh! A Chestnut! We want a peeled Chestnut!

Joat peeled the spiny shell and handed the peeled Chestnut over.

Mankey: Yes! A peeled Chestnut!

Mankey: All right, you layabouts! Get it together! Chop, chop!

Chop!

Mankey: Why don’t you quit lounging around yourself?! Get moving!

Mankey: We’ll get hustling and renovating your rescue team base!

Mankey:We’ll carry in the materials and get the place built. Double-quick! You just wait!

And so…

Supplied with another peeled Chestnut… the Mankey gang got motivated…

And returned to work on the rescue team base’s renovation.

As a result…

The rescue team base’s completion moved a little closer.

Very little, apparently.

Fortunately, I have yet another.

And so…

Supplied with another peeled Chestnut, the Mankey gang got motivated…

And returned to work on the rescue team base’s renovation.

And finally…

The rescue team base was completed!

Ah, the camera angle of suspense. It certainly seems, from this angle, like the mailbox got an upgrade, at least.

Cherithe: Joat! It’s ready! Finally! Our… Zephrai’s rescue team base!

Alrighty then, let’s take a look.

PFFFHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Cherithe: Sniff… It’s so cool. Every time I take a look at our rescue team base, I only see coolness.

snrk If you say so.

Like, seriously, this resembles the entrance to an amusement park ride or somesuch.

Cherithe: Its resemblance to you is a nice touch, Joat!

…Cherithe has epically failed her perception checks so many times now, nothing really surprises me anymore.

On a serious note, I suspect that what happened was that the game checked for each species in turn and said, “If the player is this Pokémon, make the house look like this.” It checked for everything except Pikachu, then finally said, “Okay, it wasn’t any of those, so it’s obviously Pikachu, so make it look like that.”

Caterpie: We all worked very hard!

Wynaut: It was very hard, but it was worth it!

Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!

Cherithe: Sniff… Everyone… Thank you!

Mankey:Say, there. There’s something I want to ask… If this rescue team base is finished… Does that maybe mean… You won’t bring us peeled Chestnuts anymore?

Cherithe: Hahaha! Of course!

Lass, it is clear they want chestnuts very much and they are willing to do a lot for them. We could find something else for them to add. Perhaps by the end of the game, we could have a skyscraper built! Or we could just ask the gang to give us stuff in trade or purchase them from us with money.

Cherithe: We’re finished with work on our rescue team base! To our Mankey gang! Sincerely, thank you for everything!

Mankey:…

Mankey:…

Mankey:…

Mankey:Ukkeeeeeeeeh

I do not think they thought this through very well. Why would we hire them again to fix it if we know this’ll just end up happening again once they finish?

In an absolutely magnificent turn of luck, the game managed to handle the protagonist being a Poochyena so well that one would almost think that the game was outright programmed with Poochyena in mind. As you can sorta-see (it’s harder to tell in a still image), Cherithe, has grabbed onto Mankey to try to pull ver away, shaking with the effort while doing so. Presumably, the game is trying to make Joat do the same (though with pushing instead of pulling). However, due to the spacing and the pose the game chose for Poochyena, along with the shaking motion, it instead looks like Joat is growling, ready to pounce if that Mankey does not stop these shenanigans right this instant. It is actually quite an awesome moment and definitely makes Joat look more like an action protagonist. For once.

As a result of everyone’s desperate efforts to stop the Mankey gang…

The rescue team base was saved.

As for the Mankey gang, they promised to keep from rampaging…

In return for more peeled Chestnuts, they returned to their forest.

And that is how…

The chaotic renovation of the rescue team base came to an end.

The next morning…

I must say, this new interior is quite lovely! Far from losing that charm it had before, that charm is actually magnified.

Still no curtains or window panes, though.

Is Pelipper doing this on purpose, or something? I mean, he certainly seemed on the ball when it came to delivering the news to the rest of the town! Then again, this is a slightly enhanced version, giving Gengar’s reaction, but publishing the whole story again just to add that one random fact?

And now, time to buy a Reviver Seed and some rocks!

He should be, given all that resting up he was doing while everyone else was busy working.

And so, today, the last two courses. Going with Ground first. Yeah, Cherithe is theoretically at a disadvantage here, but I still think she’ll end up one-shotting everything.

Huh. That actually kinda hurt Cherithe. Though, I do wonder why I was unaffected.

Stepping forward to protect my beloved!

Sadly, no levels gained, this time.

And lastly, this one!

Huh. This dungeon aesthetic is… bland, really. I would not normally comment on this, but seriously, this is the Dragon Maze!

Once more, the opponents make the mistake of focus-firing Cherithe.

Woo! Go, Cherithe!

Sadly, still no full completion quite yet. Looking at the list, the only type not yet represented is Ghost. That should be fun… menacing toothy grin

And so, buying another Reviver Seed. Let’s face it, in this game, we tend to go through those like candy.

…You fled from being a grown-up? I don’t think that’s very likely to be successful, unless you plan on jumping off a cliff or something.

Anyway, this may not have as much of a build-up, but this is, as you can see, another story mission. Unlike the last one, though, this one is more difficult, so for the benefit of Mr. Kite Reddybear, going to be putting that off for now.

One unfortunate thing about there being more dungeons to choose from is that the random mission generator has more dungeons to choose from, so I may not be able to get as much done per dungeon run, mission-wise, on average. And yes, I know, Mt. Steel is far beneath us, but the mail sent specifically to the base gets top priority. After all, if we don’t do it, who will?

Sadly, I have come to the realization that I do not have a Petrify Orb, so grabbing the other Tiny Woods mission from the mailbox and tackling that area first, despite it being even more beneath us.